The Silence of Progress
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: The Wicked Witch is the most feared person in all of Oz. And as Captain of the Guard, it is Fiyero Tigulaar's job to capture her. But what he doesn't realize is that, well, there's a lot he doesn't realize. AU. Fiyeraba. Winner 1st place Best Dead Story in 2017 Greg Awards.
1. Chapter 1

**Happy New Year, everyone!**

 **This story is a combination of many different ideas I had. I decided to combine them into one to save time.**

 **Also, thank you all for your votes in this year's Greg Awards! I'm so honored to have won tied–third place for Most Humorous Author, Best Romance Author, and Best Angst Author, and First Place Best Crossover!**

 **Hope you all enjoy this!**

* * *

"Your Ozness!" the guard exclaimed as he ran into the throne room and bowed.

The Wizard looked up from his paperwork. "Yes?"

"The Wicked Witch… has escaped from the Southstairs."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"The Wicked Witch has escaped."

"How is this possible?"

"I don't know, sir. And… there's something else."

"What else?" the Wizard growled.

"The Princess… she's missing."

The monarch gasped in alarm. "Missing? What do you mean by 'missing'?"

"She's not in her rooms, nor the library, nor the parlor… nor in any other place in the castle or the gardens."

The Wizard glared at the guard. "Find her. I will not have my daughter in danger with the Wicked Witch on the loose."

"That's just it, sir. We believe she was kidnapped… by the witch."

The Wizard paled. "No…"

"And sir?"

"Yes?"

"There's something else."

"What is it?"

"The Captain… he's also missing."

"They were both kidnapped?"

"We don't know yet, but it's possible."

"Find them both! Bring them, and the Witch, to me!"

"Yes, Your Ozness!" The guard clicked his heels and bowed before leaving the room.

* * *

 _(Months Earlier)_

Fiyero Tigulaar followed the guard who was showing him around the palace. He had no idea why he was so nervous. No, he wasn't nervous. He was scared. But he didn't know why. It's not like he was meeting the supreme ruler of all Oz and…

Oh, yeah. _That's_ why.

He couldn't believe he was meeting _the_ Wizard. And in person, too. When he applied for the job as a guard at the palace, he didn't think he would actually get it. Even though he had a lot of experience in weaponry and had a whole four years of rigorous military training under his belt, he was sure there were many other men more qualified than he was. And then to hear word back that the Wizard wanted to make him the Captain of the Royal Guard was much more than he ever expected. Fiyero Tigulaar, Captain of the Royal Guard had a very nice ring to it.

"Master Fiyero Tigulaar to see the Wizard, Madame," the guard said to an older woman in a green uniform sitting at the desk by the two large double doors leading to the throne room.

The woman looked up and regarded the guard and Fiyero. "And does _Master Fiyero_ have an appointment?"

"The Wizard has requested that he meet the new Captain of the Royal Guard in person."

The woman's face softened ever so slightly and she nodded, writing something down in her book before going into the throne room. The guard waited with Fiyero until the woman came back out and motioned for Fiyero to follow her. Fiyero gulped down the lump in his throat and followed the woman inside.

The first thing Fiyero noticed was how his footsteps echoed off the walls. He probably should have noticed the green, since it completely surrounded him, but his hearing was much more sensitive. Everything looked shiny and freshly polished, the prince through that his shoes would scuff the floor… or that he would trip and fall, which was equally as bad and embarrassing.

He slowly lifted his eyes and bit back a gasp. There, sitting with his back erect on a throne, was the Wizard. He was a middle-aged man, probably almost sixty, with graying hair and thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He was lazily skimming through some papers, tossing some aside while he signed others.

"Your Ozness," the woman curtsied deeply, and Fiyero bowed.

The Wizard looked up and put down the paper he was holding. "Madame Morrible."

"Fiyero Tigulaar, the new Captain of the Royal Guard, is here to see you."

"Thank you, Madame. You may go."

The woman curtsied and swiftly left, leaving the Wizard alone with Fiyero. Fiyero instantly felt his nerves begin to rise and for some reason, wished there was someone else in the room with him. It wouldn't certainly give the Wizard someone else to focus his attention on.

"You are Fiyero Tigulaar?" the Wizard asked, pulling Fiyero from his thoughts.

"I am, Your Ozness," Fiyero said with a short bow.

"Where are you from?"

"Kellswater, in the Vinkus, sir."

The Wizard nodded. "Where did you receive your training?"

Fiyero blinked. Didn't the Wizard know all of this information already? Why would he be asking him these questions? "I trained with at the Westering End Academy in Kellswater for four years."

"What do your parents do?"

"My mother is a seamstress and my father works for the National Vinkun Stock Exchange."

"Do you have any other family?"

Fiyero paused briefly. "N-No, Your Ozness."

The Wizard narrowed his eyes at the Vinkun. "You hesitated."

Fiyero licked his lips. "I have… had… a sister."

"And where is she now?"

Fiyero bit his lip. "She's dead."

The Wizard instantly softened. "Oh. I'm terribly sorry."

"It's alright." Fiyero desperately wanted to change the subject. He really didn't feel like talking about his sister.

The Wizard seemed to sense the Vinkun's plight and changed the subject. "I trust you understand your duties as Captain."

"Yes. To accompany any member of the royal family and their guests whenever they leave the palace and to take shifts of night guard duty."

The Wizard nodded. "Rarely anyone leaves the palace, especially myself and my daughter, but there will be times when I, not so much her, have to leave."

"I understand, Your Ozness."

"You are also the head of security. You are responsible for knowing who is here, how long they are staying, and when they are leaving. You will be giving the list of guest at least two days in advance."

"Yes, Your Ozness."

"Very good. Madame Morrible!"

The woman opened the door and scurried in. "Yes, Your Ozness?"

"Please show Captain Tigulaar to his quarters."

"Right away, Your Ozness," Morrible said, curtsying as Fiyero bowed, and the two of them left the throne room together.

"The royal family is on the third floor," Morrible explained as she led Fiyero up the grand staircase. "Their guests stay on the second floor, along with the higher-ranking officers, such as yourself. The maids, servants, and other guards have private quarters on the first floor. You will eat all of your meals with the other officers. As Captain, you are responsible for assigning the other guards their shifts, but you must take the night shift one a week."

"I understand," Fiyero said as Morrible showed him to his room.

"This is your room," she said as she unlocked the door and led Fiyero inside.

The room was very spacious, much more spacious than Fiyero was expecting. There was a queen-sized bed in one corner next to a large window, draped over with transparent, green drapes. A desk and a bookshelf were opposite from the bed and a wardrobe was opposite from the bed. There was a nightstand next to the bed and a dresser at the foot, both of which were a very light green.

"Your belongings have already been brought up and put away," Morrible explained as Fiyero walked around his new room.

Fiyero did his best to hide the blush from the thought of maids going through his underwear.

"You are free until dinner this evening. One of the maids will come up to fetch you." And with that, Morrible nodded and left, leaving the key on the desk and closing the door behind her.

Fiyero slowly sat down on his new bed, clad in an emerald green comforter. _This place really needs to make it obvious what its favorite color is,_ he thought to himself. He sighed, getting up to look out the window. He was very happy to see that his room was overlooking the royal gardens. He remembered how his mother loved the garden they had in their backyard. It gave her such joy to tend to her flowers and vegetables. Especially after…

The Vinkun shook the thoughts out of his mind. He promised himself it would be different here. He wouldn't allow thoughts of his late sister to interfere with his job. He _couldn't_ allow thoughts of his late sister to interfere with his job.

He finally decided to get up and get to know his new home and workplace. He grabbed his key and locked the door before setting out.

As he roamed the halls, he found that as much as the palace loved green, they loved paintings even more. He found paintings of different monuments in Oz, historical events, and even the Ozmas. He was so engrossed in looking at the paintings as he walked that he didn't even realize he was walking in someone else's path until they both collided and ended up on the floor.

Fiyero was the first to recover and realized that he had knocked over a young woman, probably no older than he was, with blonde curls and a dark pink gown. _Oh, great_ , he thought. _I've knocked over the princess on my first day here. Great way to make a good first impression, Tigulaar. Let's just hope you don't get fired because of this brainless act_. "I'm terribly sorry," he said as he got up and offered his hand to the woman.

The blonde girl smiled gratefully and accepted his hand. "Thank you."

"Are you hurt?"

The blonde brushed off the skirt of her dress and fixed her curls over her shoulder. "No. The carpet is very soft. And who might you be? I've never seen you before."

Fiyero swiftly bowed. "Fiyero Tigulaar, the new Captain of the Royal Guard, Your Highness."

The blonde curtsied and giggled, a sound that made Fiyero's stomach want to soar, but he held himself together. "I am Galinda Upland, of the Up- wait," she paused. "Did you just call me 'Your Highness'?"

The Vinkun blinked. Was that not how he was supposed to address the princess of all Oz? Had he made yet _another_ mistake in his forty-five minutes at the Emerald City Palace? Oz, he was going to be fired for sure. "I…"

The blonde blinked before bursting into hearty laughter, confusing the poor captain even more. What was going on? Why was the blonde laughing at him?

"I'm sorry," Galinda said, finally regaining her composure as she wiped a tear from her eye. "It's just… I'm not the princess."

"You're not?" Fiyero asked, his surprise very evident.

Galinda shook her head, her curls bouncing off her shoulder. "No. I'm her lady-in-waiting."

"Oh." Fiyero sounded very shocked, his mouth forming an 'o' shape, which made the blonde giggle even more. "I'm… sorry."

"Oh, it's perfectly alright. I can't remember the last time I had a good laugh like that one. So, thank you."

"Ah… you're welcome… I think…" _Thank Oz that wasn't the princess!_

The blonde smiled, curtsied, and excused herself before continuing on her way. Fiyero turned to watch her go. The blonde was very beautiful. Anyone could have mistaken her for the princess. It was a harmless mistake. A harmless mistake that, thank Oz, didn't cost him his job. He continued on his self-guided walking tour of the palace.

After a few minutes, Fiyero somehow managed to find himself on the third floor. He was walking around, still admiring the wall paintings, when he heard a very familiar giggle. Against his better judgment, he followed the sound, which led him to a closed door.

"Oh, Elphie! It was so funny. First, he bumped into me and knocked me to the ground. He was so flustered and embarrassed and he thought I was the princess! Oh, you should have seen the look on his face!"

"Of course he was probably flustered and embarrassed, Galinda. He's not here for an hour and he's already knocking people over."

"Elphie, that's not the whole point of me telling you this. He thought I was the princess. He thought _I_ was _you_! This is the part where we laugh together."

"Of course he thought you were the princess, Galinda. _I_ would think that you're the princess."

"Oh, Elphie. You're very princessy."

A sigh.

"But the look on his face was priceless! I wish there was a painter here to capture it on canvas."

Another sigh.

"Captain Tigulaar?"

The captain jumped, hoping it wasn't someone that had the authority to get him in trouble, but relaxed when he saw a young woman in an emerald maid uniform. "Um… yes?"

"Are you alright? I was sent to inform you that dinner is ready, but you were in your room."

"I'm fine. I just… wanted to walk around."

The maid nodded. "The other officers are waiting to meet you at dinner. It's on the first floor, through the kitchen and into the back dining room."

"Thank you," Fiyero said, following the maid's instructions and hurrying down the hall.

"Your Highness, Lady Galinda, dinner is ready," the maid said as she knocked on the door.

Fiyero had just rounded the corner when he heard the door open and footsteps leaving the room and following the maid down the opposite end of the hall. He would just have to meet the real princess much, much later. In the meantime, he just hoped he wouldn't do anything else stupid. And if he knew himself the way he did, he knew he most definitely would.

* * *

 **Well, that was the first chapter! Let me know what you think in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for the great response to the first chapter!**

 **Guest: I can assure you that this story will NOT be a "copycat" of** ** _'To Protect and Serve_** **'. First, it has a completely different summary, story line, plot, and many other elements are completely different. The only thing that was the same was Fiyero's arrival at the palace in the first chapter. I hope you will continue to read the story.**

 **Wanli8970: And what combination do you think this will be, my dear reviewer?**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: All of your questions will be answered in due time, I promise. Just… not right now.**

* * *

As soon as Fiyero entered the back dining room, the other officers immediately stood and saluted to their new boss. Fiyero saluted back and they all took their seats, leaving Fiyero with the only empty seat at the head of the table. As their food was being served, the officers hounded Fiyero with questions, from his childhood to his training. The Vinkun did his best to answer their questions, and even answered a few questions about his family, but stopped before it could get too far.

It was the liveliest dinner the Vinkun had had in a while, and he quite enjoyed it. He really liked his fellow officers and they seemed to like him. He was briefed on his first official duty, which was going to be the Autumn Ball the following week. He wasn't going to be on guard duty, since the guards were chosen prior to his arrival, which meant that he could socialize and rub shoulders with some very important and influential people. After all, he felt that everyone should know who the new captain of the guard would be.

"If I may ask, what happened to the old captain?" Fiyero asked as everyone stood to leave.

"His wife recently had a baby, and they decided to move back to Ev to be closer to her parents," one of the officers answered.

Fiyero nodded. "Well, it's been nice to meet all of you, and I look forward to working together."

The guards smiled and shook his hand before leaving. Fiyero sighed. Hopefully, he would be able to find his way back to his room without bumping into someone. He did, however, get lost, but still managed to find his way. He suspected it would take him a while before he got used to the huge palace. Even though he had lived in a relatively big house, almost as big as a manor, he had never gotten lost. His mind wandered to whether the princess had ever gotten lost. He imagined that since this was the place she grew up, she knew where everything was. But she probably got lost when she was little. There's no way no one would get lost in this big palace.

He pulled out his key and unlocked his door. He wanted nothing more than to collapse onto his bed and sleep for a week. He closed the door behind him and changed into his pajamas. He laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the following day. It was his first official day on the job, and he was sure he was going to meet the princess. In truth, he didn't know that much about her. He never really paid attention to the royal family news. He never really saw the importance of reading about a ball the Wizard had thrown or anything of that nature. His allow his thoughts to pull him into a deep sleep, his last thought about how he was, for some reason, dreading meeting the princess.

* * *

The next morning, Fiyero woke up to the sun shinning directly in his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to blind himself. He turned away and slowly opened his eyes again. Groaning, he pushed himself up and rubbed his face. He crashed down against his pillow before pushing the covers away and slowly rolling out of bed. Yawning, he shuffled into his bathroom and quickly brushed his teeth and showered. He dressed in his emerald green guard uniform and combed his hair, checking himself over in the mirror before deeming himself ready to greet the day.

After eating breakfast with the guards, Fiyero was informed that he would have to meet with Madame Morrible to receive his assignment for the day.

"Ah, good morning, Captain," Morrible said as the captain approached her desk. "Did you have a restful night?"

"Good morning," Fiyero smiled. "I did, thank you."

Morrible flipped through the papers on her desk before pulling out a cream sheet of paper. She handed it to Fiyero before pulling out three large packets and also handing them to him. "Today is mostly paperwork for you. And Ambassador Typhen from Quox will be arriving for afternoon tea with His Ozness. Follow me, and I will show you to your office."

 _Office? I get my own office?_ Fiyero wondered as he followed the older woman down the hall and around the corner. She stopped at the second door on the right and, turning the knob, pushed the door open. The captain noticed that his office looked a lot like his bedroom, minus the bed, closet, nightstand, and dresser. His office was a sizable room with a desk, chair, large window, and a very large bookshelf, complete with books on Oz's history, politics, and encyclopedias.

"I shall leave you to your work. A maid will come for you when lunch is ready," Morrible said as she left.

Fiyero walked over to his desk and plopped the papers down before pulling out his chair. He sat down and immediately began to scan through the papers. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but the next thing he knew, he was awoken by a maid knocking on his door to inform him that dinner was ready. Grunting, he pushed himself up and rubbed his face before going out to the back dining hall.

After lunch, Fiyero prepared to meet with the ambassador from Quox. He bit back a yawn as he waited at the front of the palace doors. Soon enough, the gates were opened and a dark red carriage came through and stopped in front. The ambassador, a middle-aged man with a balding head and thick-rimmed glasses stepped out, fixing his dark red robes before ascending the stairs.

Fiyero bowed. "Ambassador Typhen."

The ambassador nodded to the captain and allowed him to lead him inside. Fiyero brought him to Madame Morrible, who excused him and said that she would handle it from there.

Not wanting to go back to the paperwork just yet, the captain decided to walk around. He was walking around the second floor when he came across two large, double doors. Curious, he pushed them open and walked inside, quickly realizing that he had found the library. He looked around in awe. He was never a big library person, and never really set foot in one. He took another step inside and inhaled deeply. Maybe he would just sit in here for a while. He walked over to one of the bookshelves and began scanning the thick bindings. He felt like someone was watching him, but brushed it off. It was probably due to the fact that he was in a big library (or _any_ library in general).

He grabbed five books and turned to go find a seat, but came face-to-face another person. Startled, he let out a not-so-manly squeal and his back crashed against the bookshelf, causing him to drop his books. But crashing into the bookshelf only caused books from a few shelves above his head to come tumbling down on him. The captain fell to the floor with a grunt, an open book on top of his head.

"You seem like the graceful type."

The captain groaned again and removed the book from his head to get a better look at who had scared him. It was a young woman with long black hair and sharp features. Her chocolate eyes stared down at Fiyero, and he caught a hint of a mischievous twinkle in them. She was wearing a dark violet gown with long sleeves and a bit of tulle under the long skirt. But that's not what caught Fiyero off guard. What caught him off guard was her skin… her _emerald green_ skin.

"I would have thought that the new captain of the royal guard would be supple on his feet," she continued.

Fiyero didn't say anything. Not only was he trying to recover from his almost heart attack, but now he was trying not to faint from coming face-to-face with a green face.

The green girl tilted her head to the side a bit, wondering why the captain wasn't speaking. Then she frowned. "What are you staring at?" she snapped.

Had he been staring? Well, what else was he supposed to do? Blinking, he reoriented himself and gathered as much of his bearings as he could. He pushed himself up, realizing that the woman was only a few centimeters shorter than he was.

"Well?" she asked, her narrowed eyes boring into Fiyero's hazel-green ones.

"What?" Fiyero asked, having forgotten the original question.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Graceful _and_ articulate. How charming."

"What?" Fiyero asked again after a brief pause. Oz, what was going on?

"You were staring at me. And I would like to know your reasoning behind it. Although, I already know. So we might as well get this over with. No, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't eat grass as a child."

Now Fiyero was very confusified. Who was this woman, and why was she yelling at him? "You scared me," he said simply, trying to keep his tone and his anger under control. "And…"

"And what?"

"You're…"

"I'm _what_?"

"… Green…"

The woman stared at him before letting out a dry, humorless laugh. "I'm green. Wow. Well, thank you for informing me. I had no idea."

 _All right! That's it!_ He opened his mouth and was about to say something he knew he would regret later when the library door opened, stopping him. He and the green woman turned and Fiyero saw the blonde girl he had run into the previous day, what's-her-face, hurry in and curtsy.

"Your Highness, there you are!" she said, a bit breathlessly. She must have been running around trying to find her.

Fiyero bit his lip. _Your Highness…? Uh oh…_

"What is it, Galinda?" the green girl said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Your father is calling for you," the blonde said, her eyes slightly shifting towards Fiyero.

"Thank you," Elphaba said, nodding to the blonde and walking away.

Galinda stayed rooted to her spot, looking from Fiyero to the books that were still on the ground. She opened her mouth to say something when a loud, "Galinda!" stopped her. Blushing, she curtsied to the captain and hurried away with the green woman.

Fiyero sunk back against the bookshelf, hitting it a bit too hard again and another book toppled down onto his head. Grunting, he slid down and buried his hands in his chest. He couldn't believe that _that_ was the princess! Someone should have given him a warning or something! How was he supposed to know that the princess was green! How in Oz could a person have green skin? He just felt so stupid. Now the princess hated him. And after their first encounter, he wasn't very fond of her, either.

* * *

"So, you've met Captain Tigulaar," Galinda said as she helped Elphaba out of her dress.

"You could say that," Elphaba sighed.

"You don't like him?"

"He was staring at me."

"He was just probably –"

"Don't try to defend him," Elphaba said as she slipped out of her slip. "It was the green."

"Elphaba –"

"What?"

The blonde sighed. "He was probably just a bit shaken. You can't expect people not to stare the first time. Did he say anything rude to you?"

"No, but his whole attitude was… I don't even have a word for it. Turn around."

Galinda rolled her eyes, but turned so Elphaba could take off her underclothes and put on her nightgown. "Why were there books on the floor?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because I'm curious, Elphaba. Can I turn around now?"

"No."

"So tell me why there were so many books on the floor."

"It's none of your business."

Galinda sighed, then smirked. Her smirk turned into a snicker, which soon grew loud enough for Elphaba to hear.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, it seems to me that you really hit it off with the new captain, since the books were… all over the floor."

A clock-tick later, Galinda felt one of Elphaba's pillows hit her in the back of the head. She turned around and saw Elphaba blushing furiously and it only made her laugh even more.

"Because he's a clumsy oaf and he dropped the books!" Elphaba snapped.

"But why?" Galinda asked through her laughter. "You didn't scare him, did you?"

"The green can be very scary and off-putting."

The blonde immediately stopped laughing. "Elphie, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"Did you?" Elphaba asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away.

"Of course I didn't." Galinda walked over to her and gently placed her hand on the princess' shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Elphaba pulled away and sat down on the edge of her bed. Galinda blinked before going over to Elphaba's dresser and grabbing her hairbrush. She walked over to the bed and positioned herself behind the green girl, just like she always did, and began to brush out her hair.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba whispered as Galinda ran the brush through her hair. "I know you didn't mean it like that. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's alright," Galinda said, since this wasn't the first time the girls had this argument.

"You're right. I did scare him," Elphaba said softly. "I scared him and now he probably hates me."

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda said as she put the brush down and began to braid her hair. "He doesn't hate you. He just… didn't have the easiest first… and apparently _second_ , day. Just go easy on him. He's new."

"Alright," Elphaba said as Galinda finished her hair.

The blonde slid off the bed. "Do you need anything else?"

The princess shook her head.

Galinda smiled and gave her friend a hug. "Good night, Elphie."

"Good night, Glin. Fresh dreams."

"Fresh dreams."

Elphaba watched as the blonde walked away and closed the door behind her. She was right. And she should probably go apologize to the captain. Hopefully, maybe, they could start over.

* * *

 **So, the almost-potential future Fiyeraba finally met. Yay for them! Reviews make Fiyeraba (and me) very happy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wanli8970: Okay, I'll give you that one. But it's not even going to be remotely close to _'The Search'_.**

* * *

As impossible as it sounded, Fiyero was hoping to avoid the princess. It was very clear that she didn't like him. Okay, maybe he had been a bit rude, but she had scared him, made him look like a total klutz, insulted him, and didn't even ask him if he was alright. But he still wanted to avoid her as much as possible… and considering he was the captain of the royal guard, it didn't seem very possible.

After breakfast, he went to finish up more paperwork and gave the guards their assignments. He stayed in his office, and one of the maids brought him a cup of tea. He was never much of a tea drinker; he preferred his two strong cups of coffee in the morning to get him going. He took one sip and ended up swirling it around his cup until it was stone cold. He ate lunch and decided to do some more wandering around the palace.

He wandered around and soon successfully got himself lost. He tried to retrace his steps, but found it hard since he didn't leave a trail of some kind for himself. He heard footsteps and a familiar voice that he knew could only belong to the princess. He looked around for a place to hide and slipped into the first door he saw. When he was sure the footsteps had died away, he looked around, trying to figure out what room he was in. The walls were lined with paintings, mostly portraits, and he immediately knew what room he was in.

The captain walked around, taking in all the paintings. They were all of past monarchs, some with their families and some of the royal children. Fiyero smiled as he walked through the large room, observing the paintings. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice the door open and footsteps approaching him.

"I see you've found the portrait gallery."

The captain jumped and whipped around. The princess was standing directly next to him, her features seemingly softer than the day before. He quickly bowed, muttering a soft "Your Highness" before straightening.

Elphaba looked at the current portrait they were standing in front of, her great-great-great grandfather, Wizard Eadred the Brave. She looked back at Fiyero, who seemed to be waiting for her to say or do something, but his gaze wasn't meeting hers. "I… I want to apologize for yesterday."

Now she had Fiyero's undivided attention.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. And I'm sorry I startled you. And judging by the fact that you thought Galinda was the princess, I'm sure I was the last image you pictured."

 _Well, she's not wrong_ , Fiyero thought, but didn't dare to voice that. "No apologies are necessary, Your Highness. I'm sorry for yesterday. I didn't mean to –"

"Stare?" Elphaba interrupted. "I know you didn't. And I overreacted. I… tend to do that sometimes."

Fiyero simply nodded, not knowing how else to respond.

"I… I was wondering if we could… start over."

Fiyero had hoped she would say that. Hoped, but not actually expecting it to happen. "Of course, Your Highness."

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you. And since we're starting over, I believe introductions are in order."

The prince bit back a blush when he realized that Elphaba probably didn't even know his first name. "Fiyero Tigulaar," he said with a slight bow.

"Well, Captain Tigulaar, thank you for indulging me," Elphaba said with a slight nod.

"Of course, Your Highness," Fiyero said with a bow and watched as Elphaba turned to leave. Maybe he was wrong about her. Maybe the princess wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

The following days leading up to the ball were quite eventful. Fiyero watched as maids and servants hurried in and out of the grand hall with decorations, table clothes, chairs and the like. The Vinkun had never been to a ball, and didn't know what to expect, but the blonde lady's maid was more than happy to fill him in.

"There's a lot of music and dancing and maybe some singing and food and fancy gowns and fun and merriment," the blonde rattled off a few hours before the ball. "His Ozness comes out and makes a short speech to start off the evening and then everyone dances until dinner. Then after dinner, there's dessert and then more dancing."

"Wow," Fiyero said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

The blonde giggled. "Don't worry, Captain. The balls are very fun. Lots of important people come from all over Oz."

"I look forward to it," the captain smiled.

Galinda curtsied and excused herself to tend to Elphaba, hurrying down the hall. Fiyero decided that he should probably get himself ready as well. He returned to his room and took a quick shower before putting on a slightly fancier version of his uniform. He combed his hair and gave his reflection a once-over and an approving wink before making his way out. He heard the chatter of the many voices from the grand hall and gulped down his nerves before going inside.

He had never seen so many people in one room before and honestly, it scared him a bit. And not just because he was the head of security. He wasn't exactly the most social butterfly in all Oz, and he just hoped he wouldn't make a complete brainless fool of himself.

He soon found himself to be the center of attention, since everyone wanted to meet and talk to the new captain. He did his best, shaking hands with businessmen, merchants, and nobles, as well as talking to their wives and showering them with the compliments he knew they wanted to hear.

Suddenly, everyone was interrupted by the sound of a trumpet and quieted down.

"And now announcing His Royal Ozness, Wizard Oscar and Her Royal Highness, Princess Elphaba," the herald said as the doors opened.

Everyone clapped as the Wizard and Elphaba entered together. Men bowed and women curtsied as they walked past. The Wizard looked very nice in his navy blue suit, matching pants, and a slightly lighter tie. But Fiyero's gaze was locked on Elphaba. She looked completely stunning in her off the shoulder, midnight blue gown with shimmering, silver sleeves. The skirt of the dress had a layer of tulle over it and for some reason, Fiyero loved the way it brushed against the floor as the princess walked. He was pulled from his thoughts when the Wizard immediately went to the front and gave a short speech and the ball officially began.

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time dancing and mingling. Fiyero got pulled into many dances, at least four of them by Galinda. He was beginning to develop a fondness for the blonde. She reminded him a lot of his sister. The same curls, cerulean eyes, even their giggles were strikingly similar. Or maybe it was just the Vinkun's imagination, trying to fill a void that was left empty for too long.

He finally managed to escape the dancing and decided to take a rest. He leaned against the wall by the dessert cart, mindlessly swirling a glass of wine he grabbed from a passing servant. He finished off the glass and sighed, his mind reeling.

"Tired of dancing?"

He looked up to see the princess approaching him. He bowed swiftly and placed the empty glass on the table. "A bit, Your Highness."

"You were dancing with Galinda," Elphaba said, watching her friend dance with a nobleman's son. "I'm surprised you're still standing."

The captain chuckled softly. "She does love to dance."

"She loves these balls, admittedly more than I do."

Fiyero looked over at her. "You don't enjoy them?"

"Not particularly. All the fancy dresses and the people and everything just… isn't me."

Fiyero never thought he would ever meet a princess that didn't like being a princess. He had a short, yet painful memory of his sister dressing up in a pretty dress and putting a tiara in her hair and making everyone call her "Your Royal Highness". She loved everything princessy.

"Galinda is much more princess-like than I am. She loves the spotlight and the attention and the fancy gowns and everything. Without her, I probably wouldn't be able to get through any of this."

"You are very close to your lady-in-waiting?" Fiyero asked, figuring it was a safe question, since Elphaba brought up the topic in the first place.

"She's my best friend," Elphaba answered, still watching Galinda. "She's from a very well-to-do family in the Gillikin."

"How did you meet her?"

"Her parents were very good friends with my mother. They would come to visit often and bring Galinda. We would play together and one day, Galinda declared me her 'bestest friend', and the rest is history."

Fiyero smiled at the thought of a little Galinda and a little Elphaba playing together.

"When her parents died in the cholera outbreak, my mother requested that she come live with us here in the palace instead of being sent to an orphanage. She came, under the guise of training to be a lady-in-waiting."

"How old was Galinda… when she came to live here?"

"Seven. She's a few months older than I am."

"And your mother…"

The way Elphaba stiffened when he said 'mother' told him not to finish that question.

"I apologize."

"It's alright," Elphaba said, probably more to herself than to Fiyero. She looked up at him. "Dance with me, Captain?"

 _Was that a question?_ Fiyero wondered. It sounded like a question, but the way she was looking at him clearly told him that it wasn't a question. "It would be my pleasure, Your Highness," Fiyero said with a bow as he offered Elphaba his arm.

Elphaba took it and allowed Fiyero to lead her onto the dance floor. A slow waltz had just started and the two began to dance.

"You're a very good dancer," Elphaba commented.

"I guess you could say that I went through a 'dancing through life' phase," Fiyero said, lifting his arm for Elphaba to turn.

The princess looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but decided not to voice her question as they continued to dance. The waltz ended and Fiyero and Elphaba bowed and curtsied, respectively, and walked off together.

"Thank you," Elphaba said. "I'm not really one for dancing, but this was rather enjoyable."

Fiyero smiled. "It was very enjoyable, Your Highness."

Elphaba was about to say something else when gunshots rang out from outside. Everyone in the grand hall went dead silence as more gunshots rang out, followed by an agonizing scream. Fiyero turned to two of the guards standing by the door and nodded for them to see what had happened. As soon as they left, everyone in the room screamed as a rock was thrown through the window, shattering the glass into a million tiny pieces on the floor.

Galinda ran over to Elphaba and clutched her arm, clearly terrified. "Elphie," she whispered.

Elphaba looked down at her. Galinda only called her 'Elphie' in private, mainly due to the fact that in public, she was working and it would be inappropriate. But when Elphaba looked at her, she saw something in her eyes. Something she hadn't seen since the blonde came to the palace for good all those years ago. She had looked so scared and upset, and Elphaba had wanted nothing more than to make all the blonde's negative fears and emotions go away. This time, Elphaba wrapped her free arm around the blonde and pulled her closer. "It's okay, Glin," she whispered.

Fiyero looked down at both girls and ushered both of them towards the Wizard, who immediately wrapped his arms around Elphaba.

"Secure the perimeter!" Fiyero commanded the extra guards who came when they heard the gunshots. They saluted him and ran off. The Vinkun planted himself in front of the royals and Galinda, ready to protect them if need-be.

"The perimeter has been secured, Captain!" one of the guards said when he returned.

Fiyero nodded, but didn't move.

"Whoever threw the rock ran away, but two of the guards are chasing after him. We suspect that he is the one who fired those shots."

"Was anyone hurt?" Fiyero asked.

"We don't know yet, sir."

At that moment, another guard ran in and saluted. "The… culprit… got away, sir. We lost him under the cloak of darkness. I apologize."

Fiyero sighed. "Okay. Send out a group to go after him, quickly! No one was shot?"

The guard paused. "Deon, sir."

"Is he…"

The guard lowered his gaze and nodded faintly. Fiyero bit back a sob. Deon was one of the lesser officers, but he was also the funniest. He made Fiyero feel more at ease during his first few days here, especially when he told jokes over dinner. "Bring his body inside. We shouldn't leave him out there."

"Send everyone home," the Wizard said. "It's not safe to continue the ball."

"Yes, Your Ozness," the herald bowed and made the announcement. Guards escorted everyone to their waiting carriages and made sure they got out the gates safely. Fiyero escorted Oscar, Elphaba, and Galinda back to their rooms.

"I'm staying with Galinda for a while," Elphaba said once the Wizard was gone and Fiyero was about to drop Elphaba off.

Fiyero blinked in surprise, but didn't question anything as he led the two of them down to the second floor. Galinda was still clutching Elphaba arm and half of her face was buried in her shoulder. For some reason, Fiyero suspected that this wasn't the first time Elphaba stayed with Galinda after something had happened. Maybe not an attack like this, but something else that would elicit this type of reaction from the blonde.

"Will you be alright?" Elphaba asked once Fiyero dropped them off.

"I'll be fine, Your Highness," Fiyero said with a bow. "Good night. Good night, Lady Galinda."

"Good night," Elphaba said softly, watching Fiyero walk down the hall and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

 **#NiaHasNoChill is making a comeback! MWAHAHAHA!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wanli8970: Don't worry. We'll see our Wicked Witch soon enough.**

 **Rosie6583: Both of Galinda's parents died in the cholera outbreak. And her reaction will have an explanation, to be revealed in a later chapter.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Of course there's a reason why Galinda's scared. You know me. I have to scar ALL the characters! MWAHAHAHAHA!**

* * *

"Your reign of terror will soon end," Fiyero read as he and the other officers looked at the note that was attached to the rock thrown through the window. "What does that mean?"

"Is someone trying to… assassinate the Wizard?" one of the other officers asked.

"It might not be that strong. It could also be someone's sick idea of a joke," another said.

"No. Jokes are funny," Fiyero said gravely. "Someone could have been seriously injured if the rock hit them. This is a serious matter, and needs to be treated as such."

"Yes, sir," the officers nodded and went back to studying the note.

"I want a thorough search of the grounds. Any clue, no matter how small, as to who did this or their motive, I want brought back to me."

"Yes, sir," the officers repeated and Fiyero dismissed them.

The captain sighed and rubbed his face. Someone was trying to get rid of the Wizard. But why? He tried to think. The Wizard didn't have a "reign of terror". He was a just and fair ruler. When people broke the law, they were punished, but he didn't go out seeking people to torture. He couldn't remember the Wizard passing any laws that would make people upset enough to try and kill him. He would just have to figure out who was doing this and why. And protect the royal family at all cost.

* * *

Another two weeks passed and there wasn't another threat, which Fiyero was grateful for. The guards kept looking for clues, but when nothing turned up, Fiyero began to let his guard down. Maybe it was just a one-time thing. Maybe it was just a scare tactic. Nothing else was going to happen.

The captain also began to notice that the princess was becoming more solemn. He didn't know if it was his place to ask, but after three days of Elphaba sulking, he finally asked her if she was alright.

"I'm fine, Captain," the princess said, brushing him off.

Fiyero knew that she wasn't alright, but didn't press her on the subject anymore. He simply watched as she walked down the hall to her bedroom door and closed it behind her.

Elphaba sighed and rubbed her eyes. She really didn't want to deal with anything or anyone today. She just wanted to be alone. She couldn't handle being around others. Not today. She shuffled over to her bed and grabbed her pillow, hugging it to her chest as she sat down. Someone knocked on the door, but whether the princess didn't hear it or was simply ignoring it wasn't clear.

The door opened and Galinda walked in, her features soft as she gazed at the green girl. "Hi, Elphie," she whispered, shutting the door behind her.

Elphaba didn't move or make any inclination that she knew the blonde was in the room with her.

"I brought you some tea," Galinda said as she placed the teacup down on the nightstand.

Elphaba still didn't move.

The blonde bit back a sigh as she lowered herself onto the princess' bed. "Your father wants to know if you want to go for a walk through the gardens with him."

Elphaba moved her shoulders, but didn't answer.

Galinda reached out and began to play with her best friend's hair. "Elphie," she said softly. "I know you're upset, and I know how hard this day is for you, but please talk to me."

The green girl grunted softly.

"I know how you're feeling," the blonde said, gently gripping her friend's hand. "I know what you're going through and keeping it all inside won't do anything to help you cope." She tried to pull the princess into a sitting position, but Elphaba resisted. "Come on, Elphie. Talk to me."

"About what?" Elphaba muttered, not looking at the blonde.

"About how you're feeling."

"You know how I'm feeling."

"I meant… you might feel better if you talk about it."

"Nothing," Elphaba said, finally looking at the blonde, her eyes gleaming as she punctuated every word, "will _ever_ make me feel better."

"I know that, Elphie," Galinda said after a short pause.

"If you knew that, then why would you even suggest such a stupid idea?"

"I only thought –"

"Well, stop thinking!" Elphaba snapped, and the blonde jumped up and took a step back.

"Elphaba, I…"

"Just leave me alone."

"I just want to be here for you."

"I said leave me alone."

"I can't leave you alone. Not when you're like this." She gently took Elphaba's green hand in her own. "Elphaba…"

"I said leave me ALONE!" Elphaba shouted, pulling her hand free and thrusting it out towards the blonde, an invisible force shooting from her hand and knocking Galinda against the opposite wall.

A look of shock crossed Galinda's face as she was blasted against the wall and crumbled to the ground. Pain shot all through her body and she curled into a fetal position, tears spilling down her cheek.

Elphaba didn't even register what she had done until she heard Galinda's soft whimpers of pain and blinked. "Oh Oz," she gasped, jumping off the bed and rushed to Galinda side. "Galinda, I'm so sorry."

Galinda didn't look at her as she continued to cry. Guilt filled Elphaba's body. She had sworn nothing like this would ever happen again. She had promised herself that she would never hurt Galinda again. And she had just broken that promise.

"I… I didn't mean to. I don't know what came over me. Are you hurt?" Elphaba asked as she tried to help the blonde up.

Galinda weakly pushed away, clearly not wanting to be touched by the green girl.

"Glin," Elphaba said softly, blinking back tears. "I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Galinda hiccupped a sob as she tried to get up, but slipped and crashed back down. "No," she whispered when Elphaba reached out to help her. She weakly pushed herself up to her feet again and broke into a stumbled run out of the room, leaving Elphaba alone on the floor.

"Galinda, wait!" Elphaba called after her, pushing herself up. She ran out of the room and looked around, but the blonde was nowhere in sight. She sighed. She never meant to hurt her. And Galinda was just trying to help. A single tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away, stepping out into the hall. She wandered around the corner, not really knowing or caring where she was going. She didn't realize where she was going until she stopped in front of a familiar door. She reached for the doorknob and paused before turning it and pushing the door open.

She was in the portrait gallery. She walked down to the far wall where the most recent paintings were and stopped. There, in front of her, was a large portrait of a young woman with long, curly dark brown hair, soft features, and a soft smile on her small, pink lips. Her chocolate eyes held a soft focus on something off in the distance, looking at it almost longingly. Her gown was a dark pink color with a long, pleated skirt and long sleeves. Her hands were resting lightly against her abdomen. She looked calm and tranquil.

Against her will, even more tears came to the green girl's eyes and she sank to the ground underneath the painting. She wasn't crying very loud, but the door was still open, drawing someone towards the sad noises.

"Your Highness?"

Elphaba didn't hear the person call her, but looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met Fiyero's and she immediately wiped her tears away. "Captain."

"Are you alright?" Fiyero asked as he knelt down in front of her.

"I'm fine," Elphaba said.

The Captain knew what 'fine' looked like, and the princess didn't look fine. "You don't look 'fine'."

Elphaba opened her mouth to repeat that she was fine, but instead, she shook her head. "It's nothing."

"You'll feel better if you tell someone... and I'm available to listen."

Fiyero wasn't sure if Elphaba was even going to talk to him, but soon heard her say softly, "I… I hurt Galinda."

He blinked in surprise. Whatever he was expecting to hear, it wasn't that.

"She… she was just trying to help me, but I didn't want her to, and I hurt her."

"If I may ask, what happened?"

Elphaba paused, and Fiyero wasn't sure she would tell him. "When I was nine," Elphaba began slowly. "My mother began to grow… distant. Not just from my father, but from me as well. She wouldn't talk to anyone, and nothing I did would make her feel better." She took a deep breath before continuing. "One evening, after she had tucked me into bed, she had told her maid that she was going to take a bath. An hour and a half later, when she didn't come out, the maid knocked and as if anything was wrong. When my mother didn't respond, the maid went inside and started screaming. Apparently, my mother was in the bathtub, completely naked, covered in blood, and… dead." That last word was so soft, Fiyero almost didn't hear it.

"I'm so sorry," the captain whispered, feeling so helpless to help the princess. Honestly, he was expecting her to tell him what happened to Galinda, not this sudden backstory.

"I woke up and ran out and… I saw her. I saw my mother's limp, blood-covered body. A maid tried to shield me from the sight, but it was too late. My father was kneeling next her, sobbing as he cradled her in his arms. The maid who found her looked pale and ready to faint. There was so much noise and chaos and blood and…" Fresh tears welled in Elphaba's eyes as the rest of that sentence died in her throat.

Fiyero immediately pulled her into his arms. Whether that was proper or not, he didn't care. The princess clearly needed to be comforted. He couldn't even begin to imagine what she was feeling at the moment, or what she had felt all those years ago.

"Today's the anniversary of when it happened," Elphaba croaked out, more tears spilling from her eyes.

Fiyero had never seen anyone this broken before, except for his parents. He knew from them that absolutely nothing he said or did would make this better. The individual would just have to calm on their own. And he hated feeling helpless.

"I burned her," Elphaba whispered after a while when she managed to calm down enough.

"What?" Fiyero blinked.

"Galinda. I… I burned her. It was exactly five years ago today. We were fourteen. She was trying to make me feel better, and I don't remember much about what happened –I was angry and frustrated and upset– but I remember grabbing her wrist and… squeezing and twisting it. I remember her begging me to let her go and I could feel my hand heating up… but I didn't let her go. Then she started screaming at me and telling me to let her go, that I was hurting her, but I didn't. Then she started shrieking and crying and that's when I finally realized what I had done. I finally let go and Galinda fell to the floor, her whole arm covered in angry blisters and burns."

"So… you have magic?" Fiyero asked, putting two and two together.

Elphaba nodded. "I was born with it and was taught to control it as a child, but when I get really angry or upset… it gets out of control. I couldn't believe I had done that to my best friend. I tried to apologize to her and help her, but she pushed me away, like she did today. She had to get her burns treated and bandaged, and didn't speak to me for two weeks, but she didn't tell anyone I had done that to her. She said that she got too close to a torch. She only spoke to me when she was working, and even then, her words were very forced. I kept apologizing to her and I promised never to hurt her with my magic like that again, and finally, she forgave me and we were friends again. I broke that promise to her today."

Fiyero couldn't believe the princess was telling him all of this. But why? Did she actually like him enough to open herself up to him like this? He hadn't been there very long, and even though she was the princess, she seemed like the type of girl that doesn't trust everyone that easily. She seemed like the type of person who holds everyone close to them, in fear that if they let themselves go too much, they'll get hurt. He simply sat under the portrait of the late queen with her, his arms wrapped around her until she had stopped crying long enough to take a few deep breaths without hiccupping.

Once Elphaba was calm enough, she felt Fiyero get up and soon felt herself being helped to her feet. She looked up at Fiyero and saw a kind, caring expression on his face, something she hadn't seen on the captain. She allowed him to escort her back to her room and asked if she needed anything.

"Send one of the maids to check on Galinda," Elphaba said as she wiped the final tear from her eye. "And… make sure she's alright."

Fiyero bowed and began to walk down the hall.

"Captain!" Elphaba called right before Fiyero turned the corner.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Fiyero asked as he turned and hurried back to the princess.

The green girl took a breath. "Thank you."

The captain blinked in surprise, but a small smile slowly made its way onto the corners of his lips. "You're welcome, Your Highness," he said with a bow before walking away, disappearing behind the corner.

* * *

 **This chapter had more backstory, but we'll get our plot-starting action very soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wanli8970: Since Melena's death occurred in the past, it couldn't have had anything to do with the attack.**

* * *

Elphaba stood outside the blonde's door. She made to knock, but stopped. What if Galinda was still mad at her? What if she didn't want to speak to her? What if she never forgave her? Sighing, she raised her fist and lightly tapped on the door.

No answer.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

"Galinda?" Elphaba asked softly, turning the knob and pushing the door open. Her gaze immediately fell on the blonde, lying in her bed. Her face was facing her and she was under the covers. She looked asleep, and Elphaba turned to leave, but stopped when she heard the blonde softly call her name.

"What are you doing here?" Galinda asked, not even turning around.

"I… I came to check on you and… make sure you were… okay."

Galinda didn't respond.

Elphaba slowly approached the blonde's extremely pink bed and slowly sat down, placing her hand on the small of her back. The lady royal hissed softly and Elphaba retracted her hand. "You're hurt. I hurt you." She gently repositioned her hand on Galinda's back and muttered a spell. A green glow emitted from her hand for a clock-tick before fading and the blonde relaxed a bit.

"Is that better?" Elphaba asked softly.

Galinda slowly began to sit up, rejecting Elphaba's help. "Yes."

"I'm so sorry, Glin," the princess whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know you didn't," Galinda said, slowly meeting the green girl's gaze. "I'm sorry that I –"

"No," Elphaba interrupted. "You have nothing to be sorry for, so don't apologize. I should have controlled my magic. I promised never to hurt you like that again and I broke that promise. I just hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you, Elphaba. You're my best friend," Galinda said as she wrapped her arms around the green girl, smiling as she felt her return the hug. "And my source of income." Elphaba flicked her arm and the blonde giggled. "I love you, Elphie."

"I love you, too, Glin," the green girl smiled, gently pulling away. She was just so glad to have her best friend back.

* * *

"What's going on?" Fiyero asked when he saw a soldier waiting for him outside his office.

The soldier of them bowed. "Captain Tigulaar, the Wizard wishes to see you in the throne room."

Thank you," Fiyero said, still wondering why the soldiers were outside his office. He watched as he bowed and left before making his way to the throne room.

"Captain," the Wizard said when Fiyero walked in and bowed.

"Your Ozness, what's wrong?" Fiyero asked, stepping closer to the Wizard.

The Wizard sighed as his tired eyes scanned a piece of paper. "There are many reports of Animal burglaries taking place all over Oz, mostly in the Gillikin and Munchkinland."

"Animals?" Fiyero asked. "What makes it seem like Animals?"

"Eye witnesses, and apparently, pieces of animal hair have been found at the crime scenes."

"I see," Fiyero said, still not knowing what the Wizard wanted him to do with this information.

"I want you to further investigate and take whatever steps necessary to stop this," the Wizard said.

The Vinkun was still confused. Not about what the Wizard was asking him to do, but why Animals were robbing Ozians. "Yes, sir!"

"Good," the Wizard nodded. "You're dismissed."

Fiyero bowed and began to hurry out of the room. He turned the corner and hurried down the grand staircase when he saw the princess going out towards the gardens.

"Captain," Elphaba said, having turned and saw the Vinkun.

Fiyero bowed. "Your Highness."

"Join me for a walk in the gardens?"

 _Was that a question?_ Fiyero wondered yet again. The princess seemed to have a funny way of asking questions. She hardly left any room for an answer other than the one she wanted. "Of course."

Elphaba's lips slowly twitched into a soft smile as Fiyero offered her his arm, which she accepted, and the two were off. Even though the weather was still warm, it was very clear that it was going to start getting colder soon. Fiyero heard the princess inhale deeply and glanced over at her.

"May I ask you something?" she asked as the two of them walked.

"Yes?" Elphaba asked.

"Why did you tell me all those things the other day?"

"What things?"

"About your mother and what happened with Galinda five years ago."

Elphaba froze in her tracks and looked at the captain. "What do you mean 'why did I tell you'?"

"You must trust me enough to tell me all of that personal information."

"Am I not supposed to trust my captain of the royal guard?" Elphaba asked, raising an eyebrow.

"With matters pertaining to your security, yes, trusting me would really come in handy. But you… opened up to me," Fiyero said slowly. "You told me things that I probably would never have figured out or found out from somebody else. You trusted me with extra confidential information. You told me like you were telling a secret to a best friend. Why?"

Elphaba paused. Why did she tell Fiyero those things about her mother and Galinda? Why did she make herself so vulnerable to him? He was her employee. He was there to do a job and get paid for it. And being her friend didn't come with a paycheck bonus. "Am I not supposed to trust you?" she repeated, still trying to come up with a response.

Elphaba was clearly avoiding the question, and Fiyero knew it. "Never mind."

"I don't know why I did," Elphaba said. "I guess… I needed someone to talk to. I obviously couldn't talk to Galinda and my father… I… I can't talk to him." She sat down on a bench and motioned for Fiyero to sit next to her. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course," Fiyero said.

"I know nothing about you."

Fiyero blinked. Was that the question? Was the question going to follow up? He had to learn the difference between when the princess was asking him a question and when she was asking him a question, but it was really a command.

"What I mean is… you obviously know my story now… but I don't know yours."

So… what was the question? Now the Vinkun was really confusified. Did Elphaba care about him?

"Tell me about your family."

Once Fiyero figured out that Elphaba wasn't actually going to ask him a question, he began to tell her the basics about his life. Elphaba listened, not interjecting, as she brushed her bare feet ( _When did she take off her shoes?_ Fiyero wondered) against the grass. He told her about his training and the mini-jobs he did before coming to the palace.

"Why did you want to join the royal guard?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero thought for a moment. "I joined because there was a position open and I believed I was qualified."

"No, I mean… what made you _want_ to join?"

Fiyero sighed softly. "My little sister."

"Your little sister? You never told me you have a sister."

"I don't. At least… not anymore."

Elphaba inhaled sharply, but softly. "Did she…"

"She was coming home late one night from a date with her boyfriend. It was dark and… they were across the street from our house when a carriage came out of seemingly nowhere and struck both of them. Her boyfriend was killed instantly, and she died a few hours later at the hospital." He paused. "I couldn't protect her. I was her older brother and I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."

"I'm so sorry, Fiyero," the princess whispered.

Fiyero shrugged, saving the fact that Elphaba had called him by his first name for later. "It happened years ago."

"What was her name?"

The Vinkun paused, and Elphaba wasn't sure he was going to answer her. "Lyanna," he finally said.

"Lyanna," Elphaba repeated. "That's a very beautiful name."

Fiyero was silent.

"Elphie, there you are! I was looking all over for y- oh. Hello, Captain," Galinda said, dipping into a curtsy as her blood rushed to her face.

Fiyero nodded to the blonde and stood. "Excuse me, Your Highness."

Elphaba nodded and watched as Fiyero hurried back into the palace.

"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Galinda asked.

"No," Elphaba said, still staring at the door Fiyero had left through. "No, you didn't."

The blonde didn't look convinced. "Your father sent me to tell you that the Czar of Mezrix is coming for a visit tomorrow and he's bringing his daughter."

Elphaba sighed. "And I suppose he wants me to entertain her."

The blonde giggled. "Yes. In that wonderful way of yours."

"Did he say that?"

"No, but I'm saying that. You're great at entertaining… when you try… or when I threaten you with a makeover… or when your father's watching… or when –"

"I get it, Glin," Elphaba said, forcing a smile that didn't quite make it to her eyes.

Galinda giggled again and offered the princess her arm. Together, the two walked back into the palace.

* * *

Fiyero sighed as he read the letter from his parents. He felt bad for not writing to them in almost a month. He didn't plan on not writing to them. He had just been extremely busy. That wasn't a good enough excuse, but still…

Sighing, he took out a blank piece of paper and a quill. He began to write, but two hours and around twenty pieces of crumbled paper later, he still didn't have a letter to his parents. Grumbling, he picked up the crumpled pieces of paper and threw them in the garbage. It was hopeless.

"Captain!"

The Vinkun looked up, biting back a yawn, and went to open his door, seeing a maid on the other side. "Yes?"

"I've been sent to inform you that dinner is ready," she said with a slight curtsy.

"I will be down in a moment," Fiyero nodded, watching the maid hurry away. Sighing, he went back to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out a small, framed photograph. It was of him, his sister, and their parents. He was twelve, Lyanna was eight. She was wrapped protectively in his arms, with her head resting on his shoulder. Their mother stood behind him and their father stood behind Lyanna, and their arms were wrapped lightly around each other. It was the perfect picture of the perfect family.

"I miss you, Lya," Fiyero whispered, his fingers tracing over his sister's face. "I'll make you proud. I promise." And with that, the captain made his way to dinner.

* * *

 **A bit of a short chapter, but the next chapter is when the fun begins. Well, fun for** ** _me_** **, maybe not so much for the rest of you. MWAHAHAHA!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Now we get into some action! MWAHAHAHA!**

 **Guest: That was a typo and I fixed it. Thank you for alerting me.**

 **Wanli8970: We'll see more mentions of Lyanna. And what's your new theory?**

* * *

Fiyero didn't know how long he had been asleep. He just remembered waking up to sounds being made from upstairs. Groaning, he turned over and buried his face in his pillow. It was when he heard something crash that jolted him wide-awake that he decided to get up and investigate. Yawning, he grabbed his rifle, just in case, and twirled his emerald robe around his shoulders before going up to the third floor.

Fiyero knew that the only people on the third floor were Elphaba and her father, so he figured that it must have been one of them making the noise. Fiyero heard the Wizard's snores from the other side of his closed door and went to check on the princess. Her door was slightly ajar, and Fiyero peaked inside. It was very dark, but even then, he could tell that the princess wasn't in the bed. He heard noises coming from the attic and frowned. If that was the princess, what was she doing up in the attic in the middle of the night? There was only one way to find out.

The captain of the guard quickly hurried up the stairs leading to the attic and paused at the door. He identified the noises as animal screeches and paused. There were animals in the attic? And why were they making all of this noise? How was he not aware that there were animals in the attic?

Realizing that he could answer these questions later, he pushed the door open. "Freeze in the name of his supreme Ozness!"

In the dark, he barely made out the outline of a hooded figure, wearing a tall, pointed hat with a thick brim. It turned slightly, but didn't seem bothered by the Vinkun's sudden entrance. It simply moved closer to the back of the attic.

"I said freeze!" the Vinkun said, cocking his rifle. The figure froze and Fiyero cautiously stepped closer. "Remove your hood."

A black-gloved hand reached out from under the hood and reached for a lever, and Fiyero belatedly noticed the large cage they were both standing in front of. The figure quickly pulled the lever and the cage opened, releasing around two-dozen monkeys.

"Oh dear sweet Oz," Fiyero muttered. It was _much_ too early to have to deal with this. Sighing, he trained his rifle on the figure, ready to shoot if need be. "Remove your hood!" he repeated.

The figure turned around to face him, and even though Fiyero couldn't see its face, he could tell that whoever it was probably glaring at him. He fired one shot, but the figure ducked out of the way. The monkeys screeched and began flying aro- wait! Fiyero blinked. The monkeys... had wings? And they were _flying!_ That's impossible! Maybe he was having a bad dream. Maybe he had too much food and was having a nightmare because of it. There were no such things as winged monkeys. He looked at the figure and commanded for them to remove their hood, but instead, Fiyero found himself being blasted against the opposite wall. Groaning, he pushed himself up just in time to see the figure grab a broomstick from the corner and mount it, quickly flying out the window after the monkeys. Now on full alert, Fiyero pushed himself to his feet and ran to the window. He aimed his rifle and shot three times, each one missing his flying target.

This was bad. Who was that person, and how did they break into the palace? He had to warn the captain of the gu- oh wait! That was _him_!

"Captain?" a small voice asked.

Fiyero whipped around, prepared to shoot, then immediately lowered his rifle. "Lady Galinda? What are you doing awake... and up here?"

"I heard the gunshots," the blonde said sleepily. "I was worried."

"Everything's fine," the captain said.

"What's going on?"

Fiyero looked up and saw the three guards that were on night duty in the doorway. "Someone broke into the attic," Fiyero said.

The guards looked confused. "No one was near the palace, Captain," one of them said.

"It was… a hooded figure in a black cloak with black gloves." Fiyero said, going back to the window. "I suspect they came in through the window."

"That's impossible, Captain. We're all the way up in the attic," one of the guards said.

"They flew. On a broomstick."

The three guards and Galinda looked at him like he was crazy.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth."

"What was the hooded figure doing in here?"

"I don't know," Fiyero said. "But there were monkeys in the cages. Whoever it was freed them."

"What should we do, sir?" the second captain asked.

"Secure the palace. Rosmic, please escort Lady Galinda back to her room."

"Right away sir," the third guard said, bowing to Galinda and leading her out.

"Captain," Galinda called as she turned around.

Fiyero turned from the window. "Yes?"

The blonde licked her lips. "Is it… will it be… safe?"

He sensed more fear than the blonde let on. "I… I will see to it that it is, Lady Galinda."

Galinda smiled softly and allowed Rosmic to escort her back to her room, leaving Fiyero alone with the two other guards, who he quickly dismissed. He stayed in the attic for a bit longer, looking towards the sky. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking out for. He didn't think the hooded figure would come back… at least, not that same night. Maybe if he could figure out why the monkeys were there, and why they had wings, he could figure out who the figure was and why they were there.

* * *

"Captain, I believe you were just having a bad dream," Morrible said, sighing as she flipped through the Wizard's appointment book.

"Madame, I can assure you I wasn't dreaming," Fiyero said.

"And I can assure _you_ that you were. There are no such things as monkeys with wings. We don't even have animals here in the palace."

"Madame –"

"That is enough, Captain," Morrible said dismissively. "You were just having a bad dream. If you'll excuse me." The old woman hurried into the throne room and closed the door behind her.

The Vinkun rubbed his forehead. Was he going crazy? He was sure he had…

Galinda.

Of course! He could ask Galinda. If she remembered being woken up by the gunshots, that would prove that he wasn't going crazy. Smiling, he hurried to the blonde's room and knocked on the door.

"Oh, hello, Captain," Galinda said when she opened the door and curtsied.

"Lady Galinda," Fiyero bowed. He looked over the blonde's shoulder and realized that Elphaba was sitting on her bed. "Your Highness."

Elphaba nodded her acknowledgment and went back to the book she was reading.

"Is there something wrong?" Galinda asked, her cerulean eyes filled with worry.

"May I… speak to you outside?"

The blonde looked back at the princess, who had looked up from her book. "You can go," Elphaba said, trying not to sound as nosy as she felt.

Galinda nodded and walked out, closing the door behind her. "What's wrong, Captain?"

"I wanted to ask you if… do you… remember what happened last night?"

The blonde looked confused. "Last night?"

"Yes. I was in the attic and then you came up and then –"

"I didn't wake up last night," Galinda said slowly.

"You don't remember gunshots coming from the attic?"

"No. What happened in the attic?"

"Are you sure you didn't wake up? Maybe you just don't remember and –"

"I would remember waking up to _gunshots_ , Captain," the blonde said tightly, signaling that Fiyero should stop. "You were probably just dreaming."

"I wasn't dreaming! I was wide-awake! This really happened! There were monkeys in the attic, but they had wings, and there was a hooded figure that freed them and then flew out the window on a broomstick and –"

"Captain!"

Fiyero blinked and realized that he was clutching the blonde by the shoulders, clearly scaring the petite girl half to death. He looked up and saw Elphaba standing in the doorway, giving him a look that, given her magical abilities, should have killed him. He immediately released Galinda, who, in turn, collapsed in Elphaba's arms. The green girl wrapped her arms protectively around her best friend, gently rubbing her back while still throwing mental, sharp daggers at Fiyero.

"I… I'm so sorry," the captain whispered, wringing his hands together. "I don't… I mean… I didn't mean to…"

"I think you should take the rest of the day off," Elphaba interrupted. "Go get some rest, and gather together what's left of your common sense."

That hurt, especially since Fiyero was positive he wasn't going crazy. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he was just really stressed (or had too much meat and wine), and that's what triggered the bad dream. Muttering another apology, he bowed and hurried away, not looking back.

Elphaba looked down and her face immediately softened, seeing her best friend shivering in her arms. "It's okay," she whispered to the blonde. She led her friend back into the bedroom and closed the door.

Galinda clung to the green girl for dear life. She felt Elphaba sit down and sat next to her, but when she tried to remove her arms, the blonde only clung tighter to her.

"Did he hurt you?" Elphaba whispered gently.

Galinda shook her head against her friend's shoulder. "They were so strong."

It took Elphaba a beat to realize that her friend wasn't talking about Fiyero. "No one else is going to hurt you."

"They took everything…"

"I know, but you're safe now."

"I wanted to… I tried to stop them… but…"

"I know," Elphaba whispered gently, trying to stop her friend from going into a panic attack. "I know they hurt you, but they're gone now. And you're safe here."

It took a while for Galinda to stop crying, but when she did, Elphaba had conjured a cup of tea for her. The blonde smiled gratefully and took the teacup. As she sipped the drink, she began to feel herself getting sleepier.

"Elphie…" she whispered as she felt the princess take the cup from her as her body went numb. "What…"

"Just rest, Galinda," the green girl said gently, helping her under the covers. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

Galinda felt herself being pulled out of consciousness and slowly gave in. Elphaba looked at the slumbering blonde and sighed, trying not to look as guilty as she felt.

* * *

Fiyero was muttering to himself as he paced around his room. He had run into Rosmic and the other two guards who were on night duty the night before, and they told him the exact same thing Morrible and Galinda had told him; that there were no sounds coming from the attic and that he had dreamt the whole thing. He sighed. Maybe he was going crazy. But that dream… it felt so realistic. There was no way he could have been dreaming. Something was going on, and as Captain of the Guard, he was going to find out what it was.

His thoughts shifted towards Galinda. He didn't mean to hurt her. He didn't even realize what he was doing. What had come over him? He would have to go and apologize to her. Sighing, he made his way to her room. He gulped down his nerves and knocked three times, and was more than surprised to see Elphaba open the door.

"Your Highness," he bowed, not hiding his surprise.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "Captain."

"I… is Lady Galinda…"

"She's sleeping."

"Oh."

"Is there something you wanted?"

"I wanted to apologize to her. I don't know what came over me earlier. I was just… so sure I wasn't dreaming… those flying monkeys… and that hooded figure… and the bro-"

"Is there anything else you wanted, Captain?" the princess sighed impatiently.

"Oh… no. I apologize, Your Highness."

Elphaba nodded and heard the sheets rustling behind her. "If you'll excuse me," she said before closing the door.

"Wait!" the Vinkun called.

Elphaba looked surprised, and clearly annoyed, that the captain was still speaking to her. "Yes?"

"If... if I may ask... where were you last night?"

Elphaba scowled. "And what business is that of yours?"

Fiyero remembered how Elphaba wasn't in her bed when he went to check before going up to the attic. "Your security is my job."

"I was sleeping, just like everyone else in the palace... including you. Why would you ask me such a ridiculous question?"

"I... you weren't..."

"I wasn't _what_?"

"Nothing," Fiyero said after a short pause. "It's nothing. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Elphaba nodded stiffly and closed the door, leaving the captain alone.

Figuring that he could apologize to the blonde later, the captain went back to his room until a maid called him for dinner. When he got downstairs, the guards saluted to him and immediately began bombarding him with questions. He pushed them off, not wanting to talk about his dream any longer. He saw that his plate and glass of wine was already waiting for him and he sat down. Even though he was hungry, he barely touched his food. He ate half of his mashed potatoes and pushed his peas around his plate, and didn't even touch his meat.

He simply listened as the other guards around him talked about whatever subject came to their minds. They tried to involve him a few times, but his one-word responses told them that he wasn't interested in conversation. He took another sip of his drink, belatedly realizing how his whole body was turning numb. He dropped the glass, hearing it shatter against the floor and the conversations around him silencing.

"Oh sweet Oz! Captain!" one of the guards said as Fiyero fell out of his chair.

"Get help!" another one shouted, and the guards began barking orders at each other.

And that was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out.

* * *

 **Yes, yes, yes! #NiaHasNoChill**

 **So, anyone wanna try and guess what happened to Galinda that would have caused the reaction she had with Fiyero? If anyone gets it, I'll be very impressed, and you'll get virtual chocolate cake.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry the chapter is a day late! I was out all day yesterday and didn't have time to post in the morning.**

 **cjsparkles4803: I've missed the gummy bear army. They were so delicious last time.**

 **Imaginingdragons: Your questions will be answered soon enough.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Out of al the ways that could have gone, that was not one of them *smirk***

 **Indy's Green Hat: *confused look* I don't get what's so funny about that line…**

 **Guest: I haven't finished yet, but I'm aiming for 20 – 25 chapters.**

 **PocketSevens: Thank you! Your reviews always put a smile on my face.**

* * *

Fiyero groaned as he slowly began to regain consciousness. The first thing he registered when he opened his eyes was that it was _way_ too bright. He shut his eyes with another groan.

"Good morning to you, too."

He opened his eyes and blinked, the princess coming into focus. "What…"

"You were poisoned, and I saved your life."

The captain felt himself being lifted up against the headboard of his bed and opened his eyes yet again. The light was more bearable and he looked over at the emerald-skinned girl. She handed him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted. "Thank you."

Elphaba hummed and regarded him as he took a few sips. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I… think so. I mean… I feel fine considering I almost…"

"Died," Elphaba finished for him. "Your wine was poisoned."

"Why?"

"You're asking me?"

"… No… I was just…"

"I know. I'm sorry. I… I was worried about you."

Fiyero quirked his eyebrow. "You were?"

"Of course. I do have a heart, you know."

"How long was I…"

"Two days. Your body needed to recuperate from being poisoned."

Fiyero was silent for a moment. "How did you…"

"I used my magic," Elphaba said. "I could feel the poison in your bloodstream and had to stop it before it reached your heart."

"Does using magic take up a lot of your energy?"

Elphaba sighed. "Not as much as it used to. When I was still learning to control it, it took a lot of energy, but now, I'm used to it. It still takes a lot of energy to save a life, though. I've healed worse, though."

"Worse?"

Elphaba nodded, but didn't clarify, so Fiyero dropped the subject. "Thank you." The princess looked confused until Fiyero clarified, "for saving my life."

Her lips twitched. "You're welcome. We can't have the captain of the guard dying on the job, can we?"

The captain chuckled softly. "No, I don't think we can."

"I'll let you get some more rest," Elphaba said when Fiyero yawned. "You still have some recovering to do."

"I was asleep for two days," the captain protested, sounding like a little boy. "I have a job to do."

"A job you won't be able to do from the grave. Now rest." Elphaba gave him a 'no nonsense' look and he relented. He was still a bit tired, anyway. A little more sleep wasn't going to kill him.

* * *

After being examined by the palace doctor, Fiyero was giving permission to return to his normal activities. He was glad to finally get out of bed and get back to work, even though he was still getting paid while on bed-rest. Galinda had come by to visit him and Fiyero wanted to take the opportunity to apologize, but judging by how happy she was so excited to see him and how she didn't hesitate in giving him a hug, he assumed she didn't have any memory of the incident, and he wasn't going to be the one to remind her.

When he went back to his office, he nearly walked straight back out when he saw the large pile of paperwork on his desk. Groaning, he walked over to his desk and sat down, already feeling a headache coming on.

Two hours and a splitting headache later, Fiyero decided that it was time to stop. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his temple, begging the headache to go away. He got up and made his way out of his office to the parlor. It was completely empty and silent. It was calming, yet alarming to the captain. It was too quiet for him. He picked up the book that was on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch, humming to himself as he started to read.

"Do you mind? Some of us like the quiet."

The captain jumped up and let out a not-so-manly squeal when he heard the voice. Whipping around, he slowly calmed when he saw the princess sitting in an armchair in the corner. "Your Highness! You… startled me."

"It was my intention to startle you," the princess replied, and Fiyero couldn't tell whether she was joking or not. She looked up from the book in her lap and smirked at him.

"I didn't realize you were sitting there."

"Hence the reason why I took the opportunity to startle you."

Fiyero didn't know what to say to that, but thankfully, the princess wasn't finished.

"I was going to go for a walk in the gardens," she said as she put her book down and stood up.

Fiyero looked out the window and frowned slightly. "It's getting dark, Your Highness."

"It's just a walk through the gardens. I'll be fine."

Fiyero didn't look convinced. "I will accompany you."

"I want to go by myself."

"It's getting too dark. If you insist on going, I'll have to come with you to keep you safe."

"I am more than capable of keeping myself safe."

"Your Highness, it's my job to protect you."

Elphaba frowned, but reluctantly allowed the captain to come with her. She knew it was his job to protect her, just as the old captain did, but she was more than capable of going for a walk through the gardens by herself.

Even though it was getting dark, there was enough light to light the pathways through the gardens. Elphaba sped walked, hoping to lose the captain in the process, but Fiyero matched her pace.

"Why do you do this?"

Elphaba blinked. "Hmm?"

"Why do you like walking through the gardens?"

"Why does that concern you? Are you going to adjust your schedule to accommodate this?"

Fiyero recognized that he wasn't going to be able to engage the princess in conversation, and he didn't know why he still tried. She always answered him with cold, sassy responses, and he didn't know why.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Elphaba said with a soft sigh. "I… I know you're only trying to be nice to me, and I haven't been very nice to you." She took a deep breath. "I like walking out here because it helps me clear my head. My mother used to talk me on walks. She would take walks out here by herself before she…"

"I understand," Fiyero said softly. "My sister used to love taking walks in the park by our home. She loved being outdoors. She would always insist that I walk with her. The day she died, I had walked with her through the park. It was something we always did together."

Elphaba's lips twitched. "I believe I would have liked your sister."

Fiyero smiled. "I believe you would have. Although, she would have been best friends with Galinda."

"Oh Oz. Two Galindas?" Elphaba chuckled.

The captain chuckled with her. "I think one is enough."

"I agree."

The two laughed and continued through the gardens. As they neared the west wall, Fiyero heard a twig snap. He jumped around and aimed his rifle. "Get behind me, Your Highness."

"There's nothing there, Captain," Elphaba sighed, rolling her eyes.

Fiyero heard another twig snap and pushed the princess behind him. Elphaba huffed and tried to get around him to see what was making the noise, but Fiyero pushed her back. "Your Highness, please –" A shadow caught his attention and he turned back around, his rifle positioned against his shoulder. "Show yourself!"

A loud roar came from behind the bushes and before Fiyero had a chance to react, a large bear emerged. Gasping, he pushed the princess further back and aimed his rifle at the bear.

"Captain!" the princess exclaimed.

"Stay back, Princess!" Fiyero said, cocking the rifle.

"Fiyero, don't shoot that bear!"

"Hurry back into the palace!"

"No!"

"Your Highness, you must go back into the palace now! It's not safe!"

"I'm fine!" Elphaba shouted as she roughly pushed past Fiyero and hurried over to the bear.

"Your Highness!" Fiyero shouted, running after her and grabbing her arm.

Grunting, Elphaba shook the captain off and went over to the bear, her hand stretched out in a calming gesture. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Your Highness!" Fiyero exclaimed, trying to get to her once more. The bear growled even louder, its eyes gleaming.

Elphaba dismissively waved her hand, casting an immobilization spell on the captain. Fiyero gasped as he tried to fight against the magic holding him back, but it was no use. He couldn't move.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Elphaba said softly, her hand still stretched out.

The bear slowly began to calm down and stopped growling. The princess smiled softly as she lowered her hand. "How did you get in here?"

The bear opened its mouth and Elphaba blinked in confusion. It seemed like it was trying to… talk.

"W-w-w-w-w… w-r-r-r-r…" the bear growled softly.

The immobilization spell on the captain wore off and he grabbed his rifle, shooting at the bear. The bullet whizzed past Elphaba's ear and grazed the bear's side. The animal howled in pain and stood up on its hind legs.

"Your Highness, get back!" Fiyero shouted.

"Fiyero, put that rifle away! You're scaring her!" Elphaba yelled back. She had turned around to face the captain, so she didn't notice that the bear's front paw was raised and ready to strike her. She turned around right when the bear's paw came down and scratched her across the face.

"Elphaba!" Fiyero shouted as Elphaba fell to the ground with a scream. Not wasting a second, he fired to shots into the bear's stomach.

The animal howled in pain as it collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Fiyero hurried to the princess and pulled her away, gasping when he saw the blood on the left side of her face. "Oh Oz."

"Fiyero, what the hell…" Elphaba growled, then noticed the dead animal. "You didn't…"

"You're bleeding," Fiyero said as he gently cupped the princess' face in his hands.

"You killed her!" the green girl cried, slapping his hands away.

"I did what I had to do to protect you."

"You killed an innocent animal!"

"It wasn't innocent! It attacked you!"

" _She_! She was innocent! You were scaring her. If you had done what I told you to do…"

"If _you_ had done what _I_ told you to do, this wouldn't have happened! I told you to go back inside!"

"Don't you dare blame this on me! You still would have killed her! She was trying to tell me something! She could have needed help!"

"That animal was dangerous, and you need medical attention," Fiyero said, grabbing Elphaba's hand and pulling her away.

"She could have had cubs! You could have orphaned innocent bear cubs! You murderer!" Elphaba screamed, struggling against his hold.

"I am not a murderer! I did what was necessary to save you from getting killed!"

"Let me go!"

"No!"

"I hate you!"

"I don't care!" Fiyero shouted. "Hate me all you want! It's my job to protect you!"

"I don't need your useless protection!"

"I'm not the one with half of my face covered in blood!"

"You can't protect anyone! You couldn't even protect your own sister!"

Fiyero stopped in his tracks and whirled around to face the angry princess. That comment stung, and had opened an old wound that wasn't fully healed to begin with. He saw nothing but hate, anger, and pure resentment in her eyes, but knew that even though she was angry, she meant what she just said.

"You're right," he said calmly, yet his words were seeping with venom. "I couldn't protect my sister. I couldn't save her from getting killed, and I will beat myself over that night for the rest of my life. But I can, and _will_ , protect you. So hate me all you want, but at the end of the day, I still saved your life," Fiyero said, ripping off a strip from the bottom of his shirt and trying to wipe some of the blood from Elphaba's face.

"I don't want you here anymore!" Elphaba hissed, slapping his hand away. "I refuse to be protected by a murderer!"

"I am not a murderer! I did my job protecting you! Hold still!"

"I want you out of this palace immediately!"

"And I want you to stop shouting and protesting and acting like a child! But we can't always get what we want, _Princess_." Fiyero could feel the green girl stiffen behind him, but his emotions mixed with the adrenaline running through his veins stopped him from fully realizing what that meant. Elphaba pulled him to a stop and forced him to look at her. He could see the tears of pure frustration in her eyes and for some reason, it made him feel satisfied.

"You're fired!" Elphaba hissed, trying to stop her voice from cracking.

"You can't fire me. You didn't even hire me."

"I want you out of here! Now! GET OUT!"

Fiyero paused for a clock-tick. "Fine," he said softly. "You want me to go. Fine, I'll go. But you can't fire me."

"I just did!" Elphaba snapped.

"No, because I quit!" Turning with a huff, he marched back into the palace, dragging Elphaba behind him.

* * *

 **Well… this put a dent in the good ol' Fiyeraba. A big… wide… very visible dent.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, that was a Fiyeraba dent. And your reviews made me chuckle, and in PocketSevens' case, made me cackle. Fiyero and Elphaba are both being children.**

 **LifelongLeahstar: You want to know the ending?! We haven't even reached the climax yet.**

* * *

"Release me at once!" Elphaba shouted as Fiyero continued to pull her through the halls of the palace.

Fiyero honestly didn't know why he was still trying to help the princess. She had fired him. Well, he had _quit_ , but only because she fired him first. The last thing he needed was for someone to see the princess' bloodied face and him dragging her through the halls. He just wanted to make it out of the palace before he found himself in the Southstairs.

"I said release me!" Elphaba shouted again. "Release me right now or I'll scream!"

"Scream even louder than you are right now?" Fiyero muttered.

Elphaba growled and Fiyero heard her inhale a long breath before she let out in a high-pitched scream. He had no other choice but to let her arm go and cover his ears to avoid going deaf.

"What in Oz's name is going on out here?"

Fiyero looked up and saw Galinda, Morrible, the Wizard, and a few maids hurrying down the hallway. This is _just_ what he needed right now.

"Fabala!" the Wizard gasped, seeing his injured daughter.

"Great sweet Oz and Lurline!" Galinda gasped, seeing Elphaba's bloodied face and hurrying over to her. "Your Highness, what happened?"

"Captain, explain this!" the Wizard barked, pushing Galinda aside and cradling his daughter in his arms.

Fiyero blinked. How was he going to explain what happened? Was anyone going to believe him? He technically didn't have to because he wasn't the captain anymore, but again, he didn't want a one-way ticket to the Southstairs. "There was a wild bear in the gardens. It attacked the princess before I had a chance to get her away," he explained calmly.

"How could you have let this happen?" the Wizard barked, giving Elphaba to Galinda and ordering her to get her cleaned up. "Where were you when all of this was happening?"

"I tried, Your Ozness, but –"

"You _tried_? You aren't supposed to _try_! What if the bear had killed her? How did a bear even get into the gardens?"

"I will look into that directly, Your Ozness," Morrible said with a bow and a sideways look at Fiyero before hurrying away.

"You were supposed to protect my daughter," the Wizard said, still glaring at Fiyero. "I am very disappointed in you, Captain Tigulaar."

The captain noticed that the Wizard had gone from 'angry-all-powerful-Wizard' to 'upset, concerned father'. He had softened slightly and sounded a bit older. "I'm sorry I have failed you, Your Ozness," he said with a slight bow. "It won't happen again."

"I know it won't."

"Because I resign from my position as captain."

The Wizard actually took a step back. "What?"

"I humbly resign from my post as captain," Fiyero repeated.

"You… you don't have to do that. I wasn't going to fire you."

"Please, Your Ozness, as much as I have enjoyed being in your services, this job…" The captain had a sudden flashback to the day his sister was struck by the carriage, but he blinked the memory away, "just isn't a good fit for me."

The Wizard blinked, trying to think of a way to get Fiyero to reconsider. He sensed that it was something deeper than what had just happened, and nothing would have convinced Fiyero to change his mind. "Very well. I'm sorry, Captain."

"I am as well, Your Ozness," Fiyero said with another bow and hurried away to pack his belongings.

"Dear Oz, Elphaba," Galinda whispered as she led the princess to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. "How much does it hurt?"

"Not much," Elphaba muttered, allowing the blonde to sit her down on the stool.

Galinda grabbed a soft cloth and wet it with cold water. Turning, she gently began to wipe the princess' face. "I'm sorry," she said when Elphaba winced. "What happened, Elphaba?"

"The captain is a savage beast," Elphaba huffed.

" _He_ did this to you?!" Galinda gasped, taking a surprised step back.

"No… he didn't. At least, not directly."

"What do you mean 'not directly'?"

Elphaba sighed as she recounted the story to Galinda. The blonde sighed softly as she rinsed the blood off the cloth and applied the healing ointment on the cuts.

"Well, it looks like the blood was more superficial than damaging, but Elphaba, what were you thinking? Going up to a bear like that!"

"The bear wasn't dangerous, Galinda. And it might have been a Bear."

"How do you know?"

"Because she was trying to speak to me."

"Either way, bear or Bear, you shouldn't have just gone up to it. Especially after the captain told you not to."

"He is not the boss of me," Elphaba bristled.

"He is here to protect you, Elphaba. He is trained for situations like this. You should have listened to him."

"Are you blaming me?" Elphaba scowled, narrowing her eyes at the blonde. "He was going to shoot her either way, so I had to try something."

"You _tried_ to get yourself killed." The blonde calmed and gently took Elphaba's green hands in her own. "Elphie, you have a big heart. That's one of the things I admire about you. But sometimes, you have to take into account what your head is saying, not just your heart. You could have been seriously injured. Or Captain Tigulaar could have been injured as well. The point is… you have to be more careful."

Elphaba was silent. She knew that her friend was right. She just didn't want to admit it just yet. "I knew I could have helped her. What if she had cubs?"

"She was still an animal, Elphaba, whether she could speak or not. She still could have killed you, even if it wasn't her original intention. Fiyero still saved your life."

"I can take care of myself," the princess huffed.

"I never said you couldn't. I'm saying that you should have just listened to Captain Tigulaar."

"I just wanted to help."

"I know you did. But…" The blonde stopped. There wasn't anything she could say that she hadn't already said or that wouldn't lead to an argument. "I… I don't want to see you get hurt," was what she decided on, signaling an end to the conversation.

Elphaba frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. The blonde smiled softly and helped her to her feet, guiding her out of the bathroom and back to her bedroom.

"Try to get some rest," Galinda said, opening the door and leading her inside. "Do you want anything?"

The green girl shook her head.

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

Another head shake.

"Okay," the blonde said and gently wrapped her arms around her friend. "Goodnight, Elphie."

"Goodnight, Glin," the princess said half-heartedly, yet returned the hug.

* * *

Fiyero was grumbling to himself as he packed his bags. He shoved his shirts into one of his suitcases and slammed it shut. Why did he always have to mess things up? Why couldn't he do anything right? Why couldn't he protect the ones he loved?

That last question was more about his sister than about Elphaba. Out of all the people he pictured loving, Elphaba was the last person on that list. Especially after what she had said to him. She barely knew him. She had no right to say those things to him.

But she was right.

He couldn't protect his sister. Even though it wasn't his fault, and there was nothing he could have done, he still felt guilty. Maybe if he had scarred her boyfriend more when they first started dating, they wouldn't have gone on that date that ended both of their lives. If he had been outside to meet them, he could have stopped them from crossing the street in front of the carriage. If he had –

"Captain Tigulaar," a soft voice asked, knocking on his door.

Sighing, he went to the door and opened it. Galinda was standing on the other side, fresh linens in her hands. She smiled softly at him, but frowned when she saw the look on his face. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Lady Galinda," Fiyero said, trying not to sound gruff… and failing.

The blonde looked past him to the suitcases on his bed. "Why are there… where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"What?"

"I'm leaving. I have resigned as Captain of the Royal Guard."

"Why?"

"Because it's not the right job for me."

"But you've been doing a great job. Just because of what happened tonight –"

"This isn't just about tonight," Fiyero said as he walked back to his bed, and Galinda followed him, closing the door behind her. "This is about me realizing that…"

"Realizing what?" Galinda asked softly, placing the sheets on Fiyero's dresser before going over to him.

"I'm not good at protecting people."

"Yes, you are. Princess Elphaba is very stubborn. You're not the first person she hasn't listened to. You should have seen her argue with the old captain."

"This isn't just about that."

Galinda paused. "May I tell you a story?"

"If you don't mind me finishing up packing at the same time," Fiyero said as he grabbed his shoes.

"Around two and a half years ago, Elphaba gave a speech at a hospital opening in the outer city. Captain Ryso, the captain before you, went with her. After the speech, Elphaba wanted to stay and talk to the people, but Captain Ryso advised her against it. Elphaba didn't listen to him and, despite her emerald skin, soon became lost in the crowd. A few clock-ticks later, gunshots rang out. People were screaming and running in all directions and Captain Ryso nearly had a heart attack trying to find her. When he finally did, he saw her on the ground and freaked out, but then realized she was shielding a small girl. She had a graze on her arm, and Captain Ryso pulled her up, ignoring her protest and pleas to help the child, and forced her into the carriage. She heard another gunshot and turned, seeing blood quickly pooling around the child she was trying to protect as the carriage quickly drove away."

Fiyero had stopped packing and listened to the blonde's story. He couldn't believe that Elphaba would have risked her life like that.

"If it wasn't for Captain Ryso, Elphaba could have been killed that day. Even though he was very angry with her for not listening to him, he still understood why she did what she did."

"Why did you tell me this?" Fiyero asked.

"Elphaba has a big heart, and that sometimes gets in the way of her common sense. Even though she always means well, sometimes it doesn't go the way she wanted it to."

"So what are you saying?"

"Talk to her. I know you both are mad at each other, but talk to her. And… please don't leave."

"I can't," Fiyero said after a short pause. "I can't talk to her."

"Why not?"

"I just… can't."

Galinda knew there was something the captain wasn't telling her, and she knew he wasn't going to. "Just… please don't leave."

"I have to. I can't stay here."

The blonde sighed in disappointment. "Goodnight, Captain."

"Goodnight, Lady Galinda." He watched as she walked towards the door. "Goodbye."

Galinda turned around, and Fiyero could have sworn he saw tears in her eyes. "Goodbye," she whispered before leaving.

* * *

Elphaba had changed into her nightgown and was currently reading in her bed. Galinda's words haunted her mind and she couldn't help but feel bad. She knew that the blonde was right. She should have just listened to Fiyero, but he should have also listened to her. And she knew she shouldn't have said those awful things to him, especially about his sister. She was just… mad. She was mad and tired and scared and a whole bunch of other feelings. She regretted everything she had said to him. She had to make it right. She had to tell him that she was sorry and that she didn't want him to leave. Sighing, she got out of bed, put on her robe, and made her way to the captain's room.

It wasn't very late, but it was still dark. Elphaba could barely see, but she knew her home like the back of her hand. She slowly made her way down the hallway and maneuvered around the table she knew was in her way. She finally reached Fiyero's door and knocked.

She heard the sheets rustling on the other side and took a small step back just as Fiyero opened the door. He immediately frowned when he saw her and was about to close the door when she stopped him.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, and Elphaba gulped down the lump in her throat.

"Can we talk?" she asked softly.

"I don't believe we have anything further to say to one another," Fiyero said, trying to close the door again.

Elphaba pressed her hand against the door, stopping him. "Then you can just listen to me."

"Haven't you said enough?"

"Captain –"

"Look, I get it. You hate me. And right now, I'm not your biggest fan, either; so can't we just agree to let my final night in the palace be as civil and peaceful as possible?"

"I don't want this to be your final night in the palace."

Fiyero raised his eyebrow.

"I'm sorry."

The captain scoffed. "You? Sorry?"

Elphaba bristled. "If you're going to be an ass about this, you can leave now."

"I'm already packed."

"Where will you go?"

"I can easily find another job."

"Not after people hear about how you failed to protect the princess of Oz."

"Excuse me?" Fiyero laughed dryly. "I _failed_ to protect you? _You_ refused to listen to me. It's not my fault you were being an arrogant, thoughtless, senseless, stupid -"

A loud slap resounded through the hallway. Fiyero stumbled back, a shocked look on his face as his hand flew to his stinging cheek. Elphaba's hand was still in the air, and Fiyero could see sparks of magic dancing around her fingertips.

"How dare you!" the princess hissed. "How _dare_ you!"

The Vinkun slowly rose straightened and fixed a hard glare on the princess. "Like I said, if you had just listened to me, none of this would have happened. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. I don't want to have to be under the same roof as you for longer than I have to, and I know you feel the same way about me."

The princess was about to fire back, but stopped. This wasn't how you apologized to a person. She took a deep breath to calm herself before trying again. "Wait! I'm sorry I slapped you. I… I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I don't hate you, you're not a savage beast or a murderer, and I'm truly, _truly_ sorry for what I said about your sister. It was out of place and uncalled for… and very rude and inconsiderate of me."

Fiyero stared at the princess. "You... didn't call me a savage beast."

She gave him a sheepish grin. "Not to your face, at least."

Fiyero knew that the green girl was trying to lighten the tension, but he wasn't in the mood. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I forgive you. And I suppose I should apologize to. So… I'm sorry for what I said, but I'm not going to apologize for doing what I had to do to keep you safe."

"You don't need to apologize for that. I should thank you."

Fiyero shrugged. "It was my job."

"So… will you… come back?"

The Vinkun turned away.

"I… I would really appreciate it if you did. You're a good captain. We need you here. I… I need you here."

He turned back to the princess. She looked and sounded sincere, and Fiyero was actually beginning to believe that she actually was. He was about to say that he would continue to be the Captain of the Royal Guard and protect her, when suddenly, he no longer saw the emerald-skinned princess. He saw Lyanna, looking exactly the same as when he last saw her alive, with her long, curly, brown hair, green eyes, and freckles. She was wearing her favorite pink dress with the long, pleated skirt. He always remembered her smiling, but now, she wasn't smiling at him.

 _You couldn't save me. You couldn't protect me. Why would you protect her?_

"Captain?" Elphaba whispered as Fiyero's vision of his sister vanished, leaving him staring at a green face, looking at him hopefully.

"I… can't," he whispered.

Elphaba blinked in surprise. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean I can't."

"But you have to. I want you to."

"Well, maybe I don't _want_ to protect you anymore," the Vinkun hissed, slamming the door and locking it.

* * *

 **#NiaHasNoChill Will they make up? Or will the not-yet-Fiyeraba drag out their argument for a bit longer?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wanli8970: Um… I don't want to be left alone with Wendy. Please don't leave me with her! She… scares me.**

 **PocketSevens: I love your reviews! They're so funny and refreshing! Please continue them (And feel free to add your own thoughts)**

* * *

Galinda ran as fast as she could through the palace halls. She skidded to a halt in front of Fiyero's room and pounded on his door. Fiyero opened it a clock-tick later and Galinda accidently pounded on his chest.

"Ouch!" Fiyero said, jumping back and rubbing his chest. "Lady Galinda, what is going on?"

"Sorry, Captain," Galinda said sheepishly, but hurriedly. "But you have to come with me right now. It's… it's the princess."

Fiyero's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"I'll explain on the way. Come on!" she said as she grabbed the captain's hand and pulled him behind her as she ran.

Fiyero was surprised that the petite blonde was so strong, but pushed that thought aside. "What happened to the princess?"

"I saw her through my window. She went for an early morning horseback ride, but when she got to the pond, something spooked the horse and he threw her off. She landed in the pond."

Fiyero blinked. "Is she alright?"

"Captain… the pond is deeper than you think… and Elphaba can't swim."

Fiyero was now on full alert and ran past the blonde, accidently knocking her against the wall. He shouted an apology over his shoulder as he rounded a corner, hurried down the stairs and out the back door to the gardens. He sprinted over to the pond, seeing the horse that Elphaba had apparently been riding. He slowed down just a tad to briefly catch his breath. Taking in a long gulp of air, he jumped in.

The first thing Fiyero registered was how cold the water was. He shivered, looking for the princess. He looked down and saw her lying on the pond floor, her raven hair flowing around her. He quickly swam down and quickly wrapped on arm around her waist, and used the other to push both of them back up to the surface. When they reached the top, Fiyero immediately pulled Elphaba's head above the surface and quickly swam back to the shore. Galinda was waiting with a bunch of towels and warm blankets. She put them down and helped Fiyero pull Elphaba up.

"She's not breathing!" Galinda exclaimed frantically.

"Lay her down on her back," Fiyero instructed as he pulled himself out of the water.

Galinda did as she was told, her hand gripping the princess'. "Stay with us, Elphie," she whispered.

Fiyero hurried over to the princess and felt for a pulse. Feeling none, he began administering mouth-to-mouth. After five breaths, and still no response, he began CPR. Galinda stood off to the side, not wanting to be in the way, but also not wanting to leave. She watched, her eyes filled with worry, as Fiyero desperately tried to get Elphaba to breathe again. "Come on, Elphie," she whispered.

After thirty chest compressions, Fiyero did mouth-to-mouth again. Still not getting a response, he began chest compressions again. "Come on, Elphaba. Work with me, here," he said desperately.

After a few clock-ticks (which felt like a lifetime to Fiyero and Galinda), Elphaba coughed and Fiyero immediately helped her onto her side. He gently rubbed Elphaba's back as she threw up the water that was in her lungs.

"Galinda, blankets," Fiyero said, relief evident in his voice.

The blonde hurried over with the towels and blankets. Kneeling beside her friend, she began to dry her off as Fiyero wrapped her in the blankets.

"Glin…" Elphaba whispered, her voice hoarse as she coughed up a bit more water.

"I'm here, Elphie. And so is Captain Tigulaar," Galinda said.

Elphaba tried to push herself up, but Fiyero pushed her back down. "Please stay down, Your Highness."

Elphaba didn't look happy, but was clearly too weak to do much protesting.

"Lady Galinda, please go back inside and get dry clothes for the princess. And some hot soup and hot tea with lemon," Fiyero said.

The blonde nodded and hurried back inside. Fiyero stayed with the princess, checking her pulse and breathing.

"You're wet," Elphaba said softly, feeling water from Fiyero drip against her exposed skin.

"I'm fine," Fiyero said, trying not to think about how cold he was. The autumn air and the cold water were quick to push that thought back into his mind. "Can you sit up?"

Elphaba nodded and Fiyero slowly helped her into a sitting position, allowing her to lean her head against his shoulder. He gently shook her when he saw that she was beginning to fall asleep. "Your Highness, you have to try to stay awake," he said.

"I'm so tired," Elphaba whispered, beginning to close her eyes again.

"I know, but you can't fall asleep out here. It's too much of a risk. Once we get you inside and warmed up, you can rest."

Elphaba moaned, clearly unhappy.

"Do you think you can walk back into the palace?"

Elphaba paused briefly before shaking her head. The prince smiled softly as he stood up and gently lifted the princess into his arms, carrying her bridal style back into the palace. Elphaba clung to him, shivering slightly as she felt the wind against her skin. When they reached her room, Galinda was ready with a dry dress for the princess. Fiyero gently sat Elphaba down on the edge of her bed and Galinda immediately went to work drying her off some more. She began to help Elphaba take off her dress, but Elphaba glared at her.

"What?" Galinda asked, clearly not in the mood for Elphaba's usual protests.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed before she glanced over at Fiyero. Galinda followed her gaze and gave the Captain a pleading, apologetic look. The Vinkun raised his arms in mock surrender and turned around, hearing the sheets began to rustle behind him.

"Stop it, Elphaba!" he heard Galinda admonish. "There's nothing you have that I don't, so stop it."

"Glin, Captain Tigulaar…"

"Is turned around and not looking."

The Vinkun bit back a snicker.

Elphaba huffed. "He doesn't have to stay in the room."

Fiyero started to walk out, but Galinda stopped him. "You can turn around now," she said a minute later. Fiyero turned and saw that the blonde had helped Elphaba change into a warm, blue, cotton dress with long sleeves. She had also apparently braided her hair and tied it up in a bun. How the blonde managed to do all that in a minute, the Vinkun would never know.

Together, the two helped Elphaba under the covers. "The soup and tea?" Fiyero asked, feeling Elphaba's forehead. Elphaba slapped his hand away and he glared at her.

"It should be ready by now. I'll go get it," the blonde said and hurried out of the room, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone.

"You… saved me," the princess said softly.

"I can't keep protecting you if you insist on pulling stunts like this," Fiyero said, but his voice was caring.

"Does this mean… you'll stay?"

"I didn't say that."

"Will you?"

Fiyero was silent.

"Please?" Elphaba gently grasped Fiyero hand and held it in her own.

The Vinkun looked down at their joint hands. Did he want to come back? Did the princess really deserve to have him protecting her? Would he be able to protect her?

"You protected me today," Elphaba said, as if she could read his mind.

"I didn't protect you. I _saved_ you. There's a difference."

"What's the difference?"

"Protecting you would be stopping you from getting hurt… or stopping you from getting into a situation where you could get hurt. Saving is when you're already in that situation, but you get out before you really get hurt." Fiyero sighed. "Your Highness, I –"

"Fabala!"

Fiyero jumped away just as the Wizard hurried into the room, Galinda close behind him with a bowl of soup and a steaming cup of tea. He sat down next to his daughter on the bed and gently pulled her into his arms.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" the Wizard asked as he delicately stroked his daughter's hair.

"I'm okay, Father," Elphaba said, leaning her head against her father's chest.

The Wizard muttered something that sounded like "Thank Oz" as he slowly closed his eyes in relief.

"Captain Tigulaar saved me."

The Wizard turned to look at the Vinkun, who bowed slightly. "Thank you, Captain," the Wizard said, hoping that was a sign that he was staying.

"You're welcome, Your Ozness," Fiyero said.

The Wizard smiled at him and went back to hugging his daughter. Galinda left the soup and tea on the nightstand, curtsied, and walked out, motioning for Fiyero to follow her. Fiyero excused himself and bowed, following behind the blonde.

"Thank you again," she said sincerely after she closed the princess' door behind her.

"You don't have to thank me, Lady Galinda."

"But I do. You didn't just save the princess of Oz; you saved my best friend."

Fiyero smiled softly. "In that case, you're welcome."

The blonde blushed. "Does this mean that you're staying?"

"The princess wants me to, and His Ozness sounded like he wanted me to… and _you_ clearly want me to…"

The blonde blushed even harder.

"But I don't know."

"Please?"

"I'll think about it."

The blonde didn't look satisfied by that answer, and knew Fiyero was only trying to appease her and get her off his back. "Alright. But while you think about it, you should probably go put on some dry clothes."

A cold wind blew in from an open window, quickly reminding the Vinkun that he was still wet. Giving the blonde a sheepish smile, he thanked her and hurried down the hall.

* * *

Even if Fiyero wanted to leave, getting sick put a dent in that plan. He ended up spending four days in bed, sneezing, coughing, and eating soup before he started to feel better. He had it easier than Elphaba, who suffered mild hypothermia for a few days. It took her a full week to recover, and even then, she still needed to stay in bed and get her strength back.

He knew Elphaba hated staying in bed and having everything done for her, even though she was a princess. It didn't take a scientist to see that Elphaba was a very independent individual who liked to do things for herself. But he couldn't help snorting in amusement every time he saw Galinda come out of Elphaba's room, looking completely frazzled and exhausted.

Another week later, once Elphaba was in the safe zone, Fiyero went to go visit her. The green girl looked surprised to see him, but brightened when she saw him in his emerald guard uniform. "You're staying?"

The Vinkun smiled and nodded. "I have decided to stay."

Elphaba smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Well, jobs that pay this well are hard to come by. I mean, free room and board, free meals, free clothes, free room service, clean sheets…"

"With a side of a big head and an even bigger alter ego," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes. "Help me up?"

The captain helped the princess sit up against the headboard. "May I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Why did you go riding that morning? You don't usually do that."

Elphaba bit her lip. "I… I have confession."

"I'm not a priest, but you can tell me anyway," Fiyero chuckled, then sobered when he saw how serious the princess looked.

She took a deep breath. "I… I went riding to the pond… on purpose."

Fiyero blinked. "Um… define 'on purpose'."

"I went riding to the pond and… conjured up a fake snake to spook Talmar. I… I wanted him to throw me off into the pond."

Fiyero made a sound in the back of his throat that Elphaba couldn't quite identify. "So… let me get this straight… you tried to drown yourself… on purpose?"

"Not exactly. I casted a spell on myself that would allow me to breathe underwater, but since the water was so cold, it began to freeze my body. As I lost body heat, I began to lose energy, which is why the spell began to wear off and I lost consciousness from trying to hold my breath for so long."

"But… Galinda mentioned that you can't swim."

"I can't."

"So… you decided that it would be a great idea to stage an accident and have me come running to save you?"

"It wasn't like that…" Elphaba tried.

"I think it was," Fiyero said, going from shocked to angry. "What if I had left the previous night? What if Galinda hadn't seen you?"

"I knew she would. Her bedroom has a view of the gardens and she always looks out her window in the morning."

"But what if, that morning, she didn't? For Oz sakes, you could have died!"

"But I knew you would come and save me. I couldn't let you leave."

"Why would you do something like this?"

"Because I needed to prove to you that you are a great captain."

Fiyero ran his hand through his hair. "Remember when I called you stupid and then took it back by apologizing?"

Elphaba looked wary. "Yes…"

"I want to take back my take-back. What were you thinking?!"

Elphaba recoiled. "I was thinking about how much I would miss you if you left. I had to figure out a way to make you stay."

"And what if I had failed? What if I had been too late? Then what?"

"I knew you wouldn't be too late. I knew you would come and save the day."

"I am not a perfect knight-in-shining-armor that always manages to save the day, no matter what. You only find those in stories. You. Could. Have. Died!"

"I had to prove to you that you could protect me. I wanted you to trust yourself again. I know you're still upset about what happened to your sister, and I'm sorry for bringing that up before, but this is different."

"This is not different," Fiyero hissed as he started to pace. "I couldn't save Lyanna."

"I'm not Lyanna. And her death was out of your control."

"If I couldn't save my own sister from dying, how did you think that I could save you?"

Elphaba noticed tears in the captain's eyes and pushed the covers away, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. As she pushed herself up, she realized that she still didn't have all of her strength back and swayed, almost crumbling to the floor, but Fiyero still managed to catch her.

"Stop doing this!" Fiyero said, pushing her more forcefully than he intended back onto the bed.

"Doing what?"

"Purposefully putting yourself in danger!"

Elphaba softened. "Fiyero, I understand how you feel. You feel that because of what happened to Lyanna, it's going to happen again."

"It almost did! Did you even think about that? What would happen if I was not only responsible for the death of my little sister, but the Princess of Oz as well?!"

"I… I didn't think about that. I know it was really stupid and inconsiderate of me, but I was desperate." She pushed herself up again and slowly shuffled over to the still-pacing captain. "You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened to your sister. It was an accident."

"An accident I could have prevented."

She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "Stop that. You couldn't have prevented that. And that's not your fault. You have to believe me."

"How am I supposed to believe a word you say after what you did?"

"Because I did it for you."

Fiyero looked at her through tear-filled eyes and with a raised eyebrow. "You nearly killed yourself for me? And how is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I… I don't know. I just… I really wanted you to stay. Please, you have to believe me. I'm sorry. I…" Elphaba stopped, feeling lightheaded. She felt Fiyero pick her up and help her back into bed. "Please don't go!" she called desperately when the captain turned to leave.

The captain turned and regarded the princess. Honestly, he was torn. Finally, he sighed. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll stay. On one condition."

Elphaba looked hopeful. "Yes?"

"You promise to never purposefully put yourself in danger like that again and you'll listen to me when I'm trying to keep you safe."

"That's two conditions."

Fiyero cocked his head in exasperation and Elphaba chuckled. "Okay. I promise."

The captain smiled. "Good. I'll let you get some more rest now," he said when the princess yawned.

"Thank you, Captain," Elphaba said as she drifted off to sleep.

"You're welcome, Your Highness." Fiyero walked out of the room and down the hall. He was glad he decided to stay. Even though he couldn't protect his sister, he could still continue to protect the princess.

* * *

 **Well, that hurdle is over. But I haven't forgotten about the poisoning. We'll get back to the** ** _fun_** **stuff in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this chapter is so late, everyone! I'm trying to get back into the college swing!**

 **PocketSevens: LOL! Is Galinda going to let you out for good anytime soon?**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Thank you. I am personally very proud of that part.**

* * *

"Another report, Captain."

Fiyero bit back a groan as Morrible came into his office and dropped a packet on his desk. "What is it this time, Madame?"

"A Boar attacked the daughter of Rtar Myster on a train to Kvon Altar."

"Who is he?"

Morrible looked irritated, but sighed. "He is one of the most influential businessmen in the Inner City, Captain. You should know that by now."

"I'm sorry," Fiyero said, though he didn't really mean it. "But why should this be a concern of mine?"

"Any threat in the city could directly affect the Wizard and Princess Elphaba," Morrible said with a soft huff.

"But this is just a small –"

"This was most certainly _not_ small, Captain. And anything can easily turn into a much bigger problem if not handled immediately.

"But why would a Boar…"

"That's enough questions, Captain," Morrible said dismissively, turning to leave.

Fiyero watched as the older woman left. For the past two months, there had been more and more cases of Animals causing trouble all over Oz, mostly in the Emerald City and other parts of the Gillikin. There were mostly cases of Animal robberies, but an Animal attacking someone…

He still didn't understand why Morrible was making him read through the reports. There wasn't really a lot he could do. He didn't really see anything as a threat to the royal family. He figured that Morrible knew something that he didn't know, and she wouldn't tell him, so he would just have to figure it out on his own.

Deciding that he needed a break, he pushed his chair away from the desk and stood, stretching as he did so. He walked out of his office and down the stairs, going into the parlor. He saw that the room was currently empty, and moved to sit back down on the sofa, but jumped back up, nearly seven feet in the air, when he felt something underneath him.

"Hello to you, too, Captain."

Fiyero turned just as Elphaba materialized on the couch. He simply stared at the princess, trying to get his heart to stop racing out of his body. "You… Your… what are you doing?"

"I _am_ sitting on the sofa."

Fiyero knew the princess knew what he meant, and didn't know why she took such pleasure in scaring him like that. "Why were you _invisible_?"

"I didn't want anyone to know where I was. Plus, being invisible could come in handy some day; don't you think, Captain?"

"Oh, yes. Of course." Fiyero took a few deep breaths and calmed down. He had grown accustomed to Elphaba's magic, but that didn't mean that he wanted to always be on the receiving end of it.

"Is everything alright, Captain?"

"Everything is fine, Your Highness." He didn't see a reason to tell the princess about the Animal attacks. After all, it didn't affect her.

Elphaba narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing the Vinkun, but Galinda chose that moment to come in and tell Elphaba that it was time for lunch. Elphaba nodded and excused herself from the captain, following the blonde out of the parlor. Fiyero was left alone to his thoughts. Something was happening in Oz. Something beneath the surface was brewing. Something… bad.

* * *

"Captain, this letter arrived for you," a maid said as she knocked on Fiyero's door.

The Vinkun motioned for the maid to come in and held out his hand for the letter. "Thank you."

"Of course, Captain," the maid said as she curtsied and quickly hurried out.

Fiyero looked at the letter and saw that it was from his parents. Carefully tearing the envelope open, he opened the paper and quickly recognized his mother's neat, cursive handwriting.

 _Dearest Yero,_

 _I'm so glad your job is going well. I know you are under a lot of stress and pressure right now, but it would be lovely to have you home for Lurlinemas this year. It's been such a long time since you've been home, and I don't mean to sound selfish, but I miss you. Your father does, too. Please understand that if you can't come home, we won't be offended. We know how important this job is to you. But please try. Please write back soon. Your letters have become so few-and-far-between. Again, I understand why but… I miss you, Yero. I miss you so much._

 _Please write back soon with your answer._

 _Your loving mother_

The Vinkun bit his lip as he reread the letter. Of course he missed his parents. He wanted more than anything to go back to the Vinkus for Lurlinemas. He hadn't seen his parents in so long; he had always found an excuse not to go back home, even for the holidays. He always said that it was because he was so busy at work, even though he was encouraged to take off for the holiday, but everyone knew the real reason. It was because he didn't want to be reminded of Lyanna.

"Captain," a soft voice said, pulling him from his thoughts.

Fiyero looked up and saw Galinda standing in his doorway. "Lady Galinda?"

"Princess Elphaba and Miss Yulena have decided to have tea on the patio."

Fiyero nodded and stood. The Wizard was having a meeting with an ambassador from Quox, and he had brought his daughter, who was the same age as Elphaba. The two girls weren't best friends (Galinda had that spot), or even close friends, but they got along well enough together. Even though Fiyero knew he wasn't needed outside with the princess and the guest, it was still proper protocol from him to be there.

"You seem sad, Captain," Galinda said as the two of them walked together.

"I'm not sad. Just… conflicted."

"May I ask why?"

"My mother wrote to me saying she wanted me home for Lurlinemas."

Galinda smiled softly. "Then why are you conflicted?"

"I… I haven't seen my parents in around five years."

"Six years?" Galinda gasped. "Did something happen?"

"Well… yes. But it had nothing to do with them. It was… it was me. I just… needed to get out of the Vinkus and I never returned."

"Why? I mean, Of course, if you don't want to tell me, I understand. It's not my place and –"

"My sister died," Fiyero said with no emotion.

The blonde gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry. But… why don't you want to go home to your parents?"

"I just… I can't be reminded of her. It hurts too much."

"I understand," Galinda admitted softly as they turned the corner. "I have wonderful memories with my parents during Lurlinemas. They would let me help them decorate the tree, and then we would eat freshly baked cookies together. I would always ask them if I could stay up and wait for Lurline, and they would always tell me that I would fall asleep. I would always try to prove them wrong, but I would end up falling asleep anyway."

Fiyero looked down at the blonde and saw her wipe a tear away from her eye. "Are you… sad when you think about your parents?"

"Of course I am," Galinda said after a slight pause. "Every time I think about them, I'm reminded of what happened and of how much I miss them. But it also makes me happy."

"Happy?"

"I like remembering the happy times we shared together. All of the Lurlinemasses, birthdays, and every other special day we spent together is more special to me and has a different meaning now than it probably would have if they were still alive. I like thinking about those happy times. Surely you have special moments like that with your sister."

 _"_ _YERO!" a little girl squealed as she hurried into her brother's room and jumped onto the bed._

 _"_ _Oof! Lya!" the older boy frowned._

 _"_ _Hi!"_

 _"_ _What are you doing in here?"_

 _"_ _I just wanted to tell you something."_

 _"_ _What's that?"_

 _The little girl smiled brightly. "I love you."_

 _The little boy couldn't help but smile. "I love you, too, Lyanna."_

 _The little girl giggled and snuggled closer to her brother. The little boy quickly complied and wrapped his arms around his little sister. He barely had time to react before she pulled the covers over their heads and let out a very loud and unladylike fart._

 _"_ _Evian oven!" she shouted, giggling as she heard her brother gag and cough._

 _"_ _Lyanna!" he shouted, trying to untangle himself as he felt his sister jump off of the bed and heard her run away. "That's not fair! I'm the one who taught you that! You can't use it against me!"_

"Yes, I have some good memories with my sister," Fiyero said, smiling at the memory.

"Then you should think about those, and not dwell on how she died," Galinda said. "I know that's what she would want you to do."

The captain had to admit, he felt better about going home for Lurlinemas. He really did want to see his parents again. He knew he would have to be at the palace for the Lurlinemas Eve ball, but he could ask to leave right after that. "Thank you, Lady Galinda," he said sincerely, making up his mind as the two reached the patio doors.

Galinda smiled, knowing that she had made a difference for the Captain. "You're welcome, Captain."

* * *

The day of the Lurlinemas Eve ball finally arrived. Fiyero looked at himself in the mirror, dressed in his emerald guard uniform. He just hoped the night would go smoothly, and quickly, so he could go home. He looked at the clock and realized that it was time to go. Looking at his reflection once more, he hurried out of his room and down the stairs to the grand ballroom.

The guards stationed at the doors saluted him and Fiyero saluted back, immediately making his way over to the punch bowl. He grabbed a glass and filled it with the juice.

"What's in the punch?" Galinda asked as she came over.

Fiyero took a small sip. "Lemons and melons and pears."

"Oh my!" Galinda gasped, then giggled, accepting the glass Fiyero offered her. "Thank you."

A sudden fanfare caught everyone's attention and they immediately quieted down, knowing what was coming next.

"And now, their royal highnesses, Our Supreme Wizard and his daughter, Princess Elphaba!"

The doors opened, revealing the royals, and everyone clapped. Fiyero smiled slightly as he regarded the princess. She was dressed in a beautiful, black dress with long sleeves and a long, flowing, silk skirt. The bodice was laced with small crystals and golden trimming. The Wizard was wearing an emerald suit with a white shirt underneath, smiling proudly as he walked in with his daughter. With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the music to start and everyone began dancing.

"Captain," Galinda smiled as she approached the captain around four dances in.

"Lady Galinda," Fiyero smiled, then bowed. "Would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance?"

The blonde blushed. "I would love to, but I must give my feet a rest. Princess Elphaba, on the other hand…" She smiled slyly, glancing over at her friend, who was trapped in a conversation with an unnamed dignitary, "would love to have you ask her to dance."

"Princess Elphaba?" Fiyero blinked.

Galinda nodded. "She told me that she hoping you would ask her to dance tonight."

"She did?"

She nodded again. "But if you ask her, she'll just deny it, so just trust me on this one. Go on," she said, giving the captain a gentle nudge. "Plus, she likes you."

"She likes me?"

The blonde giggled softly. "Of course she does."

"How do you know?"

"Captain, I'm her best friend. She tells me everything."

"She told you that?"

"I practically had to force it out of her."

"But you just said…"

"I said that she tells me everything. I didn't say it was exactly _willingly_."

Fiyero looked back at the princess. She really did look beautiful… and she looked like she _really_ wanted to get out of that conversation. Smiling, he made his way over to her.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Fiyero said and bowed slightly.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I must speak to you for a moment."

"Of course," Elphaba said as she excused herself and went with the captain. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, per say. I just felt that you needed a little break from boring conversations with boring people. And I wanted to ask you to dance."

Elphaba gaped at him. "Really?"

"I was just doing my job."

"How was that doing your job?"

"It's my job to save you, and I did."

The princess blinked at him and rolled her eyes. "You're such an idiot."

Fiyero gave her a cheeky grin. "You're welcome."

Elphaba sighed, but gave the prince a quick smile. "Thank you, Captain."

"Your Highness, would you do me the highest honor of joining me for a dance?"

"Of course, Captain Tigulaar," Elphaba said, forcing herself not to playfully roll her eyes as Fiyero offered her his arm and led her to the dance floor.

"Are you looking forward to going home for Lurlinemas?" the princess asked as the music started and they began to dance.

"Yes. It's been a while since I've seen my parents. I've missed them."

Elphaba smiled. "You deserve the little time off. Especially during the holiday. You've been working really hard. And… you're doing a great job."

Fiyero spun her around and smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness." Had Fiyero not been paying attention, he wouldn't have noticed the blush sneaking its way onto Elphaba's cheeks. But luckily, he was and he noticed. It wouldn't be a new thing for Fiyero Tigulaar to experience a girl having a crush on him. He was used to girls fawning over him. The ladies loved him. But Elphaba was different. She most definitely didn't _fawn_. She wasn't even aware that he knows that she has a crush on him.

"Captain?"

Fiyero blinked out of his thoughts. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Would you… like to join me for another dance?"

The Vinkun didn't even try to stop or hide his smile. "Of course, Your Highness."

* * *

 **Remember when I said the "fun" begins in this chapter. I meant next chapter. But at least we got some beginning-potential Fiyeraba before stuff starts to hit the fan… hard… really hard. *Cackles***


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm** ** _SO_** **sorry this chapter is so late, everyone! College life isn't very friendly to updates!**

 **Wanli8970: The last chapter was actually one of the longer ones, word wise.**

 **PocketSevens: I still love your reviews, but it looks like you have a bit of competition with cjsparkles4803. *Smirk***

* * *

Fiyero's head spun as the carriage entered the Vinkus. It was close to two in the morning, but he wasn't tired. He still had some left over adrenaline from the ball, and his brain was too congested to even think about going to sleep. What was he going to say to his parents? What was he supposed to say to them? He can't just walk in and say 'Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad! I'm home!', now could he? He letters had been few-and-far-between, sometimes he would go months without writing to them. He practically vanished off the face of Oz and now he was suddenly returning home.

His thoughts suddenly drifted to the princess. He and Elphaba had practically danced the night away, only stopping when they both agreed that one more step and their feet would fall off. He laughed to himself, remembering the feeling of the green girl in his arms. It made him feel good.

 _Snap out of it, Tigulaar!_ he chided himself. _You're supposed to protect the princess, not fall in love with her._ And yet, he couldn't shake away the blissful thoughts and feelings he had when he thought about her or was near her. She must have felt the same feelings towards him… or at least, her version of them. She wouldn't be spending so much time with him if she didn't feel _something_. Right?

It was probably just a crush. Crushes were normal and completely healthy. It's when the crush becomes something more than a crush where things start to get tricky. Fiyero was sure the feeling of infatuation with the princess would pass eventually. The only problem was… he didn't know when.

Forty-five minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a small mansion. Fiyero sighed deeply as he grabbed his bag and thanked the driver before climbing out. He heard the carriage drive away behind him and slowly made his way to the front door. He reached out his hand to knock, but stopped. He was scared, but he didn't know why. His parents had invited him home.

Even though his brain never told his hand to move, the next thing he knew, he was knocking softly on the door. He stepped back when he heard footsteps from the other side and the door slowly opened, revealing his father, then open a bit more to reveal his mother.

"Yero!" the older woman exclaimed, practically leaping forward and wrapping her arms tightly around her son.

"Hi, Mom," Fiyero smiled, returning the hug.

"It's so nice to see you again! Come in! Come in!" his mother said with a flourish.

"Amalie, give the boy some air," a deep, yet soft, voice said as Amalie ushered her son into the house.

"Raal, aren't you going to greet your son?" the older woman said with a mock huff.

"I was getting to that," Raal sighed, but smiled as he collected his son into his arms. "Welcome home, son."

"Thanks, Dad," Fiyero smiled, returning the hug.

"Did you eat? Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat. You must be exhausted from that long trip. I want to hear everything that you've been up to. Do you want to –"

"Amalie," Raal chuckled. "I think he wants to get settled first."

Fiyero yawned and his mother blushed softly. "Your room is just how you left it. We can talk more in a few hours… once you get some rest and get settled and… everything."

Fiyero smiled and took his bag up the stairs to his room. As he walked, he suddenly stopped in front of a closed door. A cold feeling overtook him and he shivered slightly and tried to keep walking, but found his feet rooted to the spot. An internal force was taking over his muscle movements and he reached for the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open.

The room looked untouched, since someone hadn't been living in it for years. Despite that fact, nothing was dusty. Everything looked clean and new. He suspected his parents frequently entered the room. Fiyero slowly walked around the room, taking everything in. He stopped when he came across the bed with a dark pink comforter and matching pillows and a small, stuffed bunny. The prince smiled, remembering how his sister never managed to wean herself from sleeping with her favorite toy, even though she frequently denied it. He slowly sat down on the bed and leaned back, grabbing the bunny and fiddling with it.

When Amalie and Raal came up the stairs a few minutes later, they were surprised to not see their son in his bed. Instead, they heard soft snores coming from down the hall. Confused, they followed the noise and saw their son lying on top of his sister's bed, sound asleep as he clutched the bunny to his chest. Amalie smiled to herself and gently pulled Raal away from the door.

"Who knew that, after all these years, the boy still sleeps with his stuffed animals," Raal joked in a whisper, and Amalie could barely stifle her laughter.

* * *

Lurlinemas morning was just like Fiyero remembered. He was the first one up and hurried down the hall, practically tripping over his own feet. He reached the living room and gasped at the large, decorated tree in the corner. He felt like a little boy as he looked at the wrapped presents under the tree. Giddily, he bounced over to the presents and sat in front of the tree.

"Good morning, Yero. Merry Lurlinemas," Amalie yawned as she came down the stairs with Raal in tow.

"Merry Lurlinemas," Raal smiled.

"Merry Lurlinemas, Mom, Dad," Fiyero smiled, half-distracted by the presents.

Amalie smiled at her son as she sat down on the sofa, with Raal sitting down next to her. "It feels good to spend Lurlinemas together as a family again."

Raal smiled as Fiyero found a present with his name on it and tore it open. He looked over at his wife, who was looking at Fiyero with a faraway gaze in her eyes. "Amalie?"

"Hmm?"

"I know what you're thinking."

She looked at her husband.

"It's been a while since Lurlinemas has been this… festive, hasn't it?"

Amalie looked at Fiyero again, who was now surrounded by wrapping paper, smiling happily as he tore at another gift. "I remember when they were little… how they would both run down the stairs, pushing each other out of the way, racing to get to the tree and…"

"Mom, this is for you," Fiyero interrupted, handing his mom a wrapped box. "And this is for you, Dad."

Raal smiled as he took the box Fiyero gave him and opened it with such gusto, both his wife and son laughed.

After all of the presents were opened, the family gathered around the fireplace to spend some quality time together.

"I'm glad you came home, Yero," Amalie smiled, tenderly stroking her son's hair away from his face.

"I am, too, Mom," Fiyero smiled, snuggling closer to his mother, just like he did as a little boy.

Amalie laughed and hugged her son, softly kissing his forehead. She had missed this feeling so much. Ever since she lost Lyanna, she had been clingy towards Fiyero, which was completely understandable. She used to blame herself for Fiyero leaving, thinking that if she hadn't tried to make him stay with her, he wouldn't have wanted to leave. But as she realized the other factors, she began to see that it wasn't entirely her fault. But she was still overjoyed to have her son back, even if he was leaving again the following morning.

Raal came into the living room, reading the paper with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Fiyero asked, looking up without leaving his mother's arms.

"Something happened in the Emerald City," Raal said as he sat down one the other side of Amalie.

"New laws set in place to stop Animals from traveling to other regions of Oz," Fiyero read the corner title.

"No, not that," Raal said, rather dismissively. "The headline."

"Item stolen from the Emerald City Palace in the dead of night," Amalie read then gasped softly.

"A very valuable item was stolen from within the walls of the Emerald City Palace last night after the Lurlinemas Eve ball. The royal family is safe, but no details are being released about what the object was. The unidentified suspect is a tall figure, dressed in all black with a black dress, black gloves, black boots, black cloak, and a black pointed hat. The figure was last seen flying on a broomstick towards the west. All Ozians are to remain alert and any sightings are to be reported to a Gale Force officer immediately," Raal read.

"I should get back to the Emerald City," Fiyero said as he stood up. _Flying on a broomstick! That sounds familiar!_

"Fiyero, no!" his mother begged. "You can't leave yet! We haven't seen you in years! We just got you back!"

"I have to go back and take care of this," Fiyero said.

"Yero, please!"

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I have to do my job," Fiyero said, trying to push away the guilt he was feeling.

Tears filled Amalie's eyes and slowly slid down her cheek. "You don't have to leave right now. Please."

"Fiyero, please," Raal said, wrapping an arm protectively around his wife.

Fiyero knelt down in front of his mother and gently took her hands. "I'll come back soon. I'll visit before the end of January. But… I… I have to go back now. I'll write every week. I won't forget. I promise."

Amalie still looked very upset, but sighed and nodded stiffly. "Fine. Go."

"Mom, I…"

"Just go, Fiyero. You have a job to do."

Now he felt guilty; so guilty that he couldn't repress it. He rose to his full height and went to pack his belongings. When he came back down, he saw his mother staring at the tree, tears still sliding down her eyes. "Mom."

Amalie didn't move.

"Mom, I… I'm leaving now."

"Again," she said coldly.

Fiyero hung his head. "I'm sorry."

Amalie huffed.

Fiyero looked imploringly at his father, but the older man simply shook his head. He turned back to his mother. "I love you."

Amalie still didn't say anything.

Fiyero could feel his face heat up, a signal that he was going to start crying, so he started for the door. As he reached for the knob, he looked at his mother one last time, hoping that she would turn and look at him. But she didn't. So he left.

A very small part of him was glad she didn't say goodbye because he knew that if she did, they would both start crying and he would never be able to leave. Goodbyes were hard and sounded permanent. This was more like a 'so long'. He would see them again. And he would write. And they would write back. But he had to go. He had to do his duty to Oz and to the royal family.

He took the trolley to the train depot and bought a ticket for the express train to the Emerald City. It cost him a pretty green penny, since it was a last minute express ticket, but it was the only way he could get to the city before noon.

As the train pulled off, Fiyero's jumbled thoughts began to organize themselves. He thought of his parents first, and how he would probably never be able to forgive himself for the way he left. Then he thought about how he was right about the figure flying on a broomstick. No dream could have been that crazy and vivid at the same time. He had been right all along. And now everyone would be able to believe him, too. His thoughts then drifted to Elphaba. Was she alright? Did she believe him now? How would she respond to all of this?

He had closed his eyes for what seemed like a clock-tick. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by the green of the Emerald City. He quickly got off and headed towards the city. The guards at the gate were surprised to see their captain, having known that he wasn't expected back until the following day, but quickly opened the doors for him and let him inside.

The captain opened the doors and headed straight for his office. Not even bothering to drop off his bags.

"Captain Tigulaar," one of the guards said as he saluted. "We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow."

"I read the newspaper and decided to come back," Fiyero said, too concentrated on the task at hand for pleasantries. "What was stolen?"

"We don't know exactly, Captain, but it looked like a book. The figure placed it in its bag before taking off.

"On the broomstick."

"Yes… on the broomstick."

Fiyero nodded and sat down at his desk, grabbing a piece of paper and pen. "Tell me everything you know."

The guard told the captain everything he knew, since he was called to the scene and was a witness to the suspect.

"We couldn't see its face, since it was wearing both a cloak and a hat. She used magic to blast us out of the way before mounting the broom and flying away with the book. We don't know what the book was or why it was important enough to steal, but we're doing everything we can to figure it out."

"Thank you," Fiyero said.

The guard saluted and left the captain's office. Fiyero sighed and rested his forehead on his desk. A book. He left Lurlinemas with his parents for a _book_. It better have been a good book, at least.

"Captain?"

Fiyero looked up and saw Elphaba standing in the doorway. He stood and bowed. "Good morning, Your Highness. Merry Lurlinemas."

"Merry Lurlinemas, Captain. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but… what are you doing back here? You were supposed to come back tomorrow."

"I read the paper and figured I was needed here more than I was at home."

"But you were on vacation. You were supposed to spend the holiday with your family."

"I was needed here."

Elphaba blinked at the Captain and waved her hand, a wrapped present appearing in her other hand. "This is for you."

Fiyero looked up and gasped softly. "You… you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. But I wanted to."

He gingerly took the box from her and smiled. "Thank you," he said as he opened it, revealing a journal with a hard, leather cover and matching pen. "I love it," he smiled, trying not to sound and look as tired as he felt.

"You're welcome," Elphaba smiled, then noticed the report on Fiyero's desk. "They've given the figure a name; the Wicked Witch. Strange, isn't it?"

"Do you happen to know what was taken?"

Elphaba blinked at her question not being answered, but quickly recovered. "I believe was some type of special book hidden away in the attic. I don't know much about it, or why it was so important."

"That's all you know?"

"Yes."

Fiyero nodded. "Okay. Well, I have a lot of work to do with this Wicked Witch on the loose, so if you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I –"

"Elphaba."

Fiyero blinked. "Pardon?"

"Elphaba. Call me Elphaba. I… I _want_ you to call me Elphaba," the princess said, clearly fighting a deep blush.

Fiyero blinked again. "In that case, you can call me," he pretended to think for a moment. "Fiyero."

Elphaba smiled. "Very well… Fiyero."

"Very well… Elphaba."

* * *

 **Fiyeraba is building! Slowly, but it's building!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm not gonna try to justify this super late update, other than to ask for your forgiveness because I'm trying not to drown in work my second semester of college.**

 **Tess Hansen (Guest): More information will come soon. I promise. Thanks for reading!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Of course Fiyero is going to regret leaving his family the way he did. What kind of author would I be if I made everything alright like that?**

 **PocketSevens: I laughed so hard when I read your review. Thankfully I was alone in my dorm room and no one heard me cackling like a wild hyena. And as for your theories, you'll just have to wait. *Smirk***

* * *

Every week, with a newspaper, there was a heading about the Wicked Witch.

 _Wicked Witch continues to spread terror throughout Oz._

 _Wicked Witch spotted flying on broomstick near Emerald City Palace._

 _Wicked Witch killed children near Gillikin Forest._

Every time he seemed to get a lead on the Wicked Witch's whereabouts, something else would come up that would throw him off guard. He was beginning to grow frustrated. How was he going to find and capture the Wicked Witch?

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero looked up and saw Elphaba in the doorway. She didn't call him 'Captain', so he figured this was a casual visit. "Hi, Elphaba."

"You've been working for hours," Elphaba said as she came into the room. "You should take a break."

"I wish I could, but if the witch doesn't take a break, I can't either."

Elphaba walked over to the captain and took the paper he was currently reading from his hands. "You need to take a break."

"Elphaba –"

"I order you to take a break."

Fiyero blinked. He was just ordered to stop working. That was a first. "Alright, I will take a short break."

"Join me for a walk in the gardens."

"Remember what happened last time I did that?"

Elphaba frowned. "Fine. If you don't want to join me, then I'll go by myself," she said as she started for the door.

"Wait! I do! I do want to join you!" Fiyero said as he leaped up and hurried after her. He grasped her hand and she instantly stopped. Two stared at their joint hands then their eyes met.

"I… um… we… should… ah… you… um…" Fiyero tried, but nothing coherent came out.

Elphaba gently pulled away and wrung her hands together. She looked down and slowly reached for Fiyero's hand again. Grasping it, she smiled. "Is this… okay?"

"Y-yeah. This is fine." In all honestly, Fiyero really wasn't sure how he felt about the princess holding his hand. On one hand, he enjoyed feeling her soft skin against his. On the other hand, it terrified him, but he couldn't pinpoint why. His relationship with the princess had been… evolving, to say the least. They were spending more time together, especially in non-formal circumstances. It was clear that the two of them were enjoying themselves. They weren't an official couple, but they were certainly headed in that direction.

Elphaba smiled and the two walked through the gardens together. They made small talk, but they mostly walked in silence. It felt good to get out of the palace and pretend that she didn't have any responsibilities or duties. It made her feel… normal.

"Elphaba, where are we going?" Fiyero asked when he noticed that Elphaba had taken the lead.

"I thought we could have a picnic," Elphaba said, stopping under a cherry tree.

Fiyero looked around, not seeing a blanket or basket. "Um… how…"

Elphaba chuckled and waved her hand. A blanket covered in plates of food and two glasses of cider appeared. "Come on," she said. They sat down together and began to eat. Sometime between the sandwiches and the chocolate covered strawberries, Elphaba somehow ended up in Fiyero's arms, her head lying comfortably against his chest. Fiyero clearly didn't mind as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. Elphaba melted against him, allowing her eyes to close. She enjoyed times like this where there weren't any royal duties to fulfill, or dress fittings, or dignitaries to entertain. She was simply Elphaba, a woman enjoying quality time with the man she loved.

Elphaba almost shot up when she realized what she was thinking. Did she love Fiyero? She had never felt this way about anyone else before. She liked how she felt around him, but was it really love? It could have been just a useless crush that would be gone soon, but deep down, she had a feeling that wasn't the case.

"Elphaba?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You just stiffened."

Elphaba blinked. "I'm fine. I was just… thinking."

Fiyero smiled. "What were you thinking about?"

"About… us."

"Us?"

Elphaba slowly sat up and looked at the captain. "I… I like you, Fiyero."

"I like you, too, Elphaba, but aren't friends supposed to like each other?"

"Yes, but…" Elphaba seemed to struggle with herself, and she didn't fully understand why. "I… I like you more than a friend. I… I think I… love you."

Fiyero was silent for a moment.

"I don't want to beat around the bush, so… do you… love me? If you don't, that's fine. I won't be offended and we can still be friends and –"

The captain didn't know what had come over him, but he gently pulled Elphaba closer to himself and pressed his lips against hers. Elphaba looked surprised, but quickly melted into the kiss; her _first_ kiss.

"I think I do," Fiyero whispered against her lips. "I do love you, Fae."

"Fae?" Elphaba asked softly.

Fiyero blinked, the nickname he had been calling Elphaba in his head slipping out. "A… nickname. If you don't like it, I'll –"

"I like it… Yero," Elphaba smiled.

The captain smiled and the two kissed again. It felt good to now know that their feelings for each other were mutual. The bell tower in the square chimed three times and the two pulled apart.

"We should probably get back inside," Elphaba said, blushing furiously.

"Yeah…" Fiyero said, also blushing. He helped the princess to her feet and Elphaba waved her hand, clearing away the picnic things. "I… really enjoyed myself… Fae."

Elphaba smiled. "I did, too, Yero."

Fiyero smiled and the two shared another quick kiss before going back inside the palace.

* * *

"Tell me EV-E-RY-THING!" Galinda gushed when Elphaba entered her bedroom.

Elphaba blinked, surprised that the blonde was in her room. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Captain Tigulaar! You two kissed. And it's about time, too!"

"How do you know about that? We're you spying on us?"

"Not on purpose. I was cleaning your room and I saw the two of you outside in the gardens sharing your little picnic. It was so adoreabubble! You two make such a cute couple."

Elphaba blushed deeply. "You think so?"

The blonde giggled. "Oh, Elphie. I _know_ so. In fact, I was wondering when you two would stop beating around the bush like teenagers and confess your love to each other."

"We didn't 'confess our love'," Elphaba protested.

Galinda waved her hand. "Call it whatever you want, Elphie. You told each other that you love each other. So tell me everything that happened!"

"Nothing happened. We just had a picnic… as friends, and it ended with us as… more than friends."

The blonde giggled and Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Oh, Elphie! That's so romantic!"

Another eye roll. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

Galinda gasped. "Of course it was a big deal, Elphie! You and Captain Tigulaar are now an official couple! Before you know it, you'll be getting married and having little Elphies and Captain Tigulaars and I'll be the godmother and…" The blonde was interrupted by a pillow being hurled at her face. She ducked just in time and couldn't help but giggle again.

"You have our future all planned out, don't you?" Elphaba deadpanned, fighting a smile.

"Of course I do. But don't tell me you're not at least a little bit excited."

The princess regarded her best friend before sighing and sitting down on the bed. "I admit, I do like Fiyero a lot. I've… never felt what I feel for him before. I like how I feel when I'm around him. I love spending time with him. I… love him."

Galinda bounced up and down and ran over to give her friend a hug. "I'm glad you're happy, Elphie."

"Thanks, Glin," the princess said as she returned the hug.

* * *

 _Wicked Witch sets fire to Southern Vinkun village, killing hundreds of men, women, and children._

Fiyero grunted as he threw the newspaper across his office. The Witch had decided to lay low for a while, making it even harder for his men to track her down and capture her. Hundreds of innocent people were being terrorized by her and there was nothing he could do about it. Lives were being lost and it was all his fault. What was he going to do?

The Witch has got to be stopped.

"Captain!"

Fiyero looked up as a guard rushed in and saluted. "Yes?"

"We have a new lead on the Witch. She was spotted in a forest on the border of the Vinkus."

Fiyero nodded. "Has a nearby post been notified?"

"Yes, sir. They are on the scout for the Witch."

Fiyero nodded. "Good."

The guard saluted again and hurried out. Fiyero sighed and buried his face in his hands, his eyes too tired to read another paper.

"Ah, Captain Tigulaar, there you are."

Fiyero looked up and found the press secretary marching into his office. "Hello, Madame Morrible. What can I do for you?"

"His Ozness is requesting your presence in the throne room."

"Okay," Fiyero nodded as he stood, stretched and followed the old woman to the throne room.

"Ah, Captain Tigulaar," the Wizard said as Fiyero approached the throne and bowed.

"Your Ozness, what can I do for you?" Fiyero asked as he straightened.

The Wizard held up a newspaper, the same one Fiyero had been reading earlier. "This Wicked Witch business has gone too far. Innocent lives are being lost and the people are afraid for their lives."

Fiyero bit his lip. "Yes, Your Ozness."

"I want her captured and locked in the Southstairs."

"Yes, sir. We are working as hard as we can to –"

"It's too late to 'try', Captain. I need action, and I need it now," the Wizard said seriously, his eyes seemingly glaring into the Vinkun's soul. "I don't want that Witch coming here and hurting someone… especially Elphaba."

Fiyero gulped. "Of course, Your Ozness."

The Wizard relaxed slightly and nodded. "Good, then. You're dismissed."

Fiyero bowed and hurried out of the throne room. He was going to capture the Wicked Witch. Even if he had to do it himself. No one was going to hurt Elphaba. Not if he had anything to do with it, which, of course, he did.

The following day, he called all the guards together for a meeting. He himself was running late, and everyone had already gathered by the time he got there.

Once he entered, the room immediately began to quiet down. One of the guards didn't notice the captain coming in and continued conversing with the guard sitting next to him. "… 'Cause you know I've got these big ass feet," a guard said once the room was silent. He immediately noticed how silent the room was and looked up at Fiyero. "Oh… um… my apologies, Captain," he said nervously.

Fiyero nodded, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he would start laughing and never be able to stop. "Hello, everyone. I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here. As you know, the Witch has gone from terrorizing to killing, and while we were all serious about her capture before, we need to step up our game. So far, the Witch has struck here, here, here, here, here, and here," he said as he pinpointed the places on the map on the table.

"Three of those places are near the Gillikin Forest," one guard said.

Fiyero nodded. "We already have a base there, but if the Witch strikes again, we'll need reinforcements. Do I have any volunteers?"

Silence.

"Don't all volunteer at once," Fiyero said, still panning the room. "Your pay will be tripled."

Half the hands in the room went up.

"That's better," the captain smiled. "Alright, Yuhma, Tigune, Isloken, Rosmic, and Wetyne, you'll be stationed in the forest as reinforcements.

The six guards nodded.

"Then if there are no further questions, you are all dismissed," Fiyero said.

The guards stood and saluted their captain before filing out of the room. Fiyero stayed behind and looked out the window, enjoying the view of the city. But deep down, he couldn't push away the feeling that something bad was brewing in Oz. Something that would affect him and the people he loved and cared about.

* * *

 _Animals are only permitted to ride in the baggage cars of trains._

 _Animals are no longer permitted to travel to other regions of Oz or outside Oz._

 _Animals are being detained._

 _Animals are losing their abilities to speak._

 _Animals are being killed in zoos._

Those were the headlines Fiyero, as well as the rest of Oz, would have been reading if the real news was being reported. That was what was really happening in Oz, but no one knew. Especially if Madame Morrible had any say in it, which, of course, she did.

Even she thought this Wicked Witch business was going too far. Especially since it was getting in the way of her plans. She was going to have to do something about it. The problem was, she didn't know who was behind the attacks, and even if she did, without the Grimmerie, there was nothing she could do about it.

No matter. She would sniff the little witch out. She wouldn't be able to hide forever, and when she came to strike again, Morrible would be prepared and ready. She walked over to the window and watched as the captain and the princess took a stroll through the gardens. She was unfortunate enough to look out the window right when the two were sharing a kiss. She grimaced in disgust. She had never understood young love, and she didn't want to.

Little did she know that young love might be the key to getting what she wanted.

* * *

"What time is the hospital grand opening?" Fiyero asked, his fingers intertwined with Elphaba's as they walked.

"It's at noon. Then there's a reception afterward," Elphaba answered.

Fiyero nodded. "Are you looking forward to it?"

"I guess so. It's just another royal duty I have to do."

"I thought you liked children."

"I do. But doing this hospital grand opening is still something I'm required to do."

Fiyero smiled. "Would it make you feel better knowing that I was there?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a soft laugh. "I suppose so."

Fiyero grinned cheekily and softly kissed the princess' cheek.

"Yero?"

"Yes, Fae?"

"Are we… um…"

"What?"

"Are we an official couple?"

"Define 'official couple'."

"I mean… are we boyfriend and girlfriend? We've 'confessed our love' for each other and… we have nicknames for each other and… we go on 'dates'… even though they're mostly just walks through the gardens."

"I suppose we are," Fiyero smiled. "I like the feeling of being an official couple."

Elphaba smiled. "I do, too."

"Now what?"

"What?"

"Since we're an official couple, now what do we do?"

"I guess… the same things we've been doing. I don't think we have to do something different."

Elphaba smiled. "I'd like that. Doing the same things we've been doing, I mean."

Fiyero nodded and they continued on their walk. "Out of curiosity, was it Lady Galinda who asked if we were an official couple?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Yes, it was."

"And… how long did she say it would be before I proposed?"

Elphaba looked over at the captain, and for once, was unable to decipher the meaning behind his question.

* * *

 **Okay, we're gonna start moving from here. I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner than last time.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know, I know. This chapter is extremely late. I'm sorry!**

 **Wanli8970: Morrible finding out any type of information is bad.**

 **PocketSevens: I'm so glad Galinda enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Rebbie444: Thank you for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

* * *

Morrible was getting impatient. And very angry. Which wasn't a very good combination.

She had to get that little witch out of the way in order for her plans to start. But there was no way to do that until she knew where and who she was. And that took time. Time she didn't have.

Grumbling, she slammed her fists on her desk. Panting, she rested her forehead against the desk and slowly rose to her full height. She would sniff her out. She didn't care what she had to do. A light bulb suddenly went off in her head and she knew exactly what she was going to do, and exactly how she was going to do it.

She hurried down the hallway, towards the princess' room. At first, she didn't know what drew her to Elphaba's room, but she had a hunch. She reached the door and knocked three times. Silence answered her, so she pushed the door open to find the room empty. With narrowed eyes, she scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary and her face brightened slightly when she found a loose floorboard.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the old woman asked as she hurried to the board and knelt. She pried it off and gasped at what she saw.

The Grimmerie.

"Hello, old friend," she smirked as she gently took the book out. "So this is where you've been hiding."

She placed the floorboard back and rose to her feet, the book clutched protectively under her arm. Now that she found her little witch, she could kill three birds with one stone.

* * *

As time went on, Fiyero and Galinda began to notice that Elphaba was becoming more distant. She would disappear for hours at a time and no one would know where she would go. She would then turn up and say that she had been in the library, or the gardens, or someplace else in the palace, but Fiyero didn't buy it. Something was going on. He would question the princess, but she would either brush him off or change the subject. Either way, Fiyero knew that Elphaba was never going to answer his questions.

Currently, the couple was taking a leisurely stroll through the gardens. The weather was beautiful, with a gentle breeze. Fiyero smiled as he watched Elphaba's long, raven hair flow behind her.

Their relationship had been progressing steadily during the past few months. The Vinkun had been working at the palace for a little over a year, and he knew for sure that Elphaba was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In his pocket, he felt a small box that he had placed in his pocket before he had left his room in search of the princess. He had found her in the library and requested that she join him in a walk through the gardens. The emerald girl had quickly agreed, and now he just had to lead her to the spot where he planned to ask her a very important question.

"Yero?" Elphaba asked, looking up at the captain.

"Yes?" Fiyero asked, seemingly half distracted.

"Something's wrong. Tell me."

"Nothing's… wrong," Fiyero said slowly.

"Something's on your mind, then."

"Yes, well…"

"Yero…" Elphaba sounded scared, and Fiyero knew that he had to do this now, least he risk losing her.

"I… I have to tell you."

Elphaba waited, a scared expression still on her face.

The prince took a deep breath. "I… I love you, Fae."

"I… love you, too, Yero," Elphaba said, still unsure of where the conversation was going.

"I know this is kind of ill-planned and… not really rehearsed, but…" He took a deep breath, dropping down to one knee as he pulled the small black box from his pocket.

Elphaba stared at him with wide eyes. "Yero…"

"I… I like spending time with you, Elphaba. A lot. I love how I feel when I'm with you and I enjoy every moment we spend together. I… I want to make many more of those moments, so… Princess Elphaba Melena of Oz, will you marry me?"

Elphaba stared at him in silence. It was only a few seconds, but to Fiyero, it felt like a few days. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until Elphaba gently slapped his back, forcing him to breathe again. "Yero, I…"

The bell tower rang in the distance and Elphaba stopped short. She felt a cold wind whip past her, but something felt off. It felt like someone was using a lot of magic nearby. The cold feeling sat with her for a moment before growing stronger, almost overwhelming. Something was wrong. "I… I have to go."

"Wh-What?" Fiyero asked, thinking that the lack of oxygen to his brain was making him hear things other than 'Yes, Yero! Of course I'll marry you!'.

"I… I have to go," Elphaba repeated as she hurried back into the palace, leaving Fiyero alone, still on one knee, in the gardens, tears slowly beginning to form in his eyes.

"Elphaba, where are you going?" he called after her, but she was already out of earshot.

Elphaba ran through the palace, following the strange sensation of magic. She had never felt this feeling before, but she knew what it felt like to use magic, and the cold wind she felt was definitely magic.

"Elphaba!"

The green girl looked up and saw the blonde running towards her, looking distraught. "Glin, what's wrong?"

The blonde paused briefly to catch her breath. "It's… it's your father…"

Elphaba's eyes widened in fear as she rushed past the blonde. She saw guards outside the doors to her father's room and they immediately stepped aside with a bow. She went in and gasped, taking in the scene in front of her.

Her father was lying in his bed, his hands neatly folded on top of the covers. His eyes were closed, and his chest was still rising and falling, but it was barely noticeable unless someone was really looking. The palace doctor was standing over the Wizard, and when he noticed the emerald girl, he bowed and stepped out of the way.

The princess slowly approached her father's still form, her eyes never leaving his face. "Father?" she whispered as she approached.

"He was found in the parlor," the doctor said as Elphaba looked down at her father.

"Is he..."

"He appears to be asleep, but we cannot wake him."

"What can be done?" Elphaba asked, gently taking her father's hand.

"I… I am not sure, Your Highness," the doctor said softly. "I don't know what caused it, therefore, I cannot remedy it."

As Elphaba held her father's hand, she felt the magic coursing through his veins. Someone had cast a spell on him; a very powerful sleeping spell. She just didn't know who had done this or why. But she thought she knew something that could help. She gently released her father's hand and stood, slowly striding out of the room. She walked down the halls and back to her own room.

"Elphie?"

The green girl turned around and saw Galinda standing behind her.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

In all honesty, she wanted her best friend with her, but she couldn't risk her seeing what she was hiding. It was much too dangerous. "No," she said softly, shaking her head. "I want to be alone right now."

The blonde gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. With a slight curtsy, she turned and walked down the hallway, disappearing from sight. Elphaba sighed softly and hurried to her room, closing the door behind her. She hurried to her loose floorboard and opened it, then gasped.

It was empty.

The Grimmerie was gone. The only thing in its place was a folded up piece of paper. She gently picked the paper up and read the cursive handwriting.

 _I know your secret._

That sentence sent shivers down her spine. Someone in the palace knew her secret and had stolen the Grimmerie. Without it, she wouldn't be able to help her father, or anyone else, for that matter. And whoever had the book would have extraordinary power. And when power like that fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could become catastrophic.

* * *

Fiyero ran into his room and slammed the door behind him. He couldn't believe Elphaba had just left him like that. He had been so nervous and hopeful. He just couldn't believe that she had hurt him like that. Grunting, he threw the box to the ground, watching as it bounced underneath his bed. He sat down and cried, loud sobs racking his body. He didn't hear the door open, and barely registered the feeling of a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain," a soft voice said.

The Vinkun looked up to see Galinda standing over him. "L-Lady Galinda."

"What happened?"

Fiyero frowned and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Something must have happened, or else you wouldn't be in here crying."

Fiyero paused before whispering, "I tried to propose to Elphaba."

The blonde's face brightened up and she squealed. "You did?! YAY! I knew you would! That's so Ozmazifying! Ooh, it must have been so romant- wait. Did she… did she say no?"

"She just ran away."

Galinda's face immediately fell. "Captain, I'm sure she didn't mean to –"

"She ran away when I proposed to her. She doesn't want to marry me, Galinda," Fiyero said, dropping the honorific, not completely by accident.

"Elphaba loves you, Captain. You know she does. If she didn't, you would have been turned into a toad by now," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood, which didn't work.

"She didn't even say 'no'. She just ran away, leaving me alone in the garden," Fiyero said, turning away from the blonde.

"Captain…"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Fiyero said, turning away from the blonde.

Galinda got the message and sighed, standing to leave. "Captain, I… I'm sorry. But… you should talk to her. She needs as much support as she can get… especially now."

Fiyero heard the blonde leave and dwelled on her words for a bit. What was she talking about? What could have possibly happened between when she ran away and now? It had only been around half an hour. Sighing, he rose to his feet and went in search of the princess.

He reached her bedroom and heard soft sobs coming from the other side of the door. He bypassed knocking and slowly walked in, seeing Elphaba crying in a similar way he had been. He sat down on her bed and gently pulled her into his arms, wordlessly trying to comfort her.

Elphaba looked up at the captain and immediately, what had happened between them came crashing back into her mind. "Yero, I… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… I mean… I… my father…"

"Shh, it's okay, Fae. I understand," Fiyero said soothingly, trying not to sound as hurt as he still felt.

Elphaba leaned against him and snuggled deeper into his arms. "I want to marry you. I really do, but my father…" She paused, wondering how she was going to explain what had happened without actually explaining what had happened, "suddenly fell ill and the doctor isn't sure if he's going to make it and…"

"I'm so sorry, Fae," the captain said, realizing that Elphaba must have found out this out when she ran back inside, which didn't help explain _why_ she ran back inside. "It's…"

"It's not okay. I shouldn't have left you like that. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry, Yero." She started crying again, and felt Fiyero gently tighten his grip around her. He figured that since she was an emotional mess at the moment, it would be best to just sit and comfort her. The proposal could wait until after the Wizard gets better, no matter how long it took, and Fiyero was hoping it didn't take too long…

"I've already lost my mother. I… I can't lose my father, too," the princess whispered brokenly.

… for more reasons than one.


End file.
